Love is, Love is Not
Love suffers long and is kind;
Love is not impatient. Love is not calloused.
Love does not envy;
Love is content with itself. It is not moved by its surroundings.
Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
Love doesn’t put on a show. It doesn’t appear bigger or mightier than it already is. Love is authentic. Love is meek.
Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
Love is gentle in nature. When love is wronged, it does not lash out with petty antics or seek revenge. Love does not seek a reaction out of another for its own satisfaction, nor does it seek clarity through such actions.
Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Love does not throw a tantrum when it does not get its way. It does not delight in unrighteous behavior.
Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love’s endurance and perseverance keeps it soft and thinking of others in highest of regards. It withstands faults.
Love never fails.
Pure love withstands time, trials, passions, and tribulations.
We will fail… time and time again.
We will fail each other and we will fail God.
It is inevitable.
Our love is nothing but a speck of dust compared to the love of the Almighty Creator of our souls.
But the blood… it covers us, heals us, and saves us.
He is love.
He will never fail us, but we will fail us.
He will never leave us, but we will leave us.
He will never forsake us, but we will forsake us.
The Lord never abandons, never lies, never cheats, never betrays.
God suffers long and is kind; God does not envy; God does not parade Himself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek His own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
God never fails.
Jesus suffers long and is kind; Jesus does not envy; Jesus does not parade Himself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek His own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Jesus never fails.
Holy Spirit suffers long and is kind; Holy Spirit does not envy; Holy Spirit does not parade Himself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek His own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Holy Spirit never fails.
He loves us now, He loved us from the beginning, and He’ll love us for eternity.
1 John 4:16 and 17 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world.”
It is because of His perfect, everlasting love that we love Him boldly. And out of that love, we share the overflow with one-another, loving them honorably.
We love Him because He first loved us.
