1 Corinthians 13:1-13 - Love is______.
This description of love does not describe our modern understanding of love, unfortunately. We have come to understand love as an emotion, a feeling, something that just happens and that we happen to fall out of from time to time. Love is something we are all searching for and yet aren’t quite sure when we’ve found it. However, this description does describe the way Jesus loves every one of us; with true love. This is the love that should serve as the standard on which we model our lives. Our love, like our lives, isn’t perfect. We’re called children of the Lord for a reason. Children are still learning. They walk around in a state of confusion, but, full of hope, faith and love at the same time. Which can also be said about our journey on this narrow path with Jesus Christ. At this present time, we are children. Once in heaven we will have a deeper knowing of God as he knows us. All imperfect things will become perfect. Until then, we are to spend our lives learning to love the way Jesus loved.
One way that true, unconditional love is expressed is through forgiveness. We cannot give or receive unconditional love without it. Any of us who have been in any type of relationship for a long period of time know the importance of forgiveness. Forgotten anniversaries, an unconstructive word uttered in moments of anger, or just the world keeping us distracted enough to forget about one another. Without forgiveness relationships would be doomed. Including our relationship with Christ. Imagine if God didn’t show us grace through His forgiveness and unconditional love. Imagine if he didn’t love us so much that he sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ. To be honest I can’t. A lot of us believers pull away from God for a lack of self-forgiveness. We pull away because our lives may have taken a wrong turn somewhere. We aren’t perfect. We are children of God. We are going to do childish things. Know that God has already forgiven you. Just turn from whatever it is and get back on that path to salvation.
Our God is a forgiving God. Amen for that! Gods grace begins and ends with forgiveness and love. As believers we put all our faith and hope into that. Our spiritual foundation is built on Jesus Christ who is the very meaning of love and forgiveness. We as believers cannot begin to understand true unconditional love without knowing Him.
Our God through His grace awards us with his forgiveness. If we are turning from or letting go of, whatever is causing us to not truly love someone, God will forgive. I believe we get caught up in not giving ourselves that grace. We tend to not forgive and show love to ourselves. Which is why a lot of us either choose to not come to Jesus or why a lot of us choose to pull away from Jesus. Unconditional Love begins with knowing God forgives, and we should do the same.
-DW