1 Corinthians 13:4-7
John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Yesterday we started looking at the list that God gave Paul to describe love. Today we continue moving through the list so we can examine our lives and see where they miss the mark of wholehearted worship.
We pick up at “It is not self-seeking.” That sure sounds different than what is commonly viewed as love these days, doesn’t it? More and more of life is self-seeking. One look at options available in the average supermarket will show us that about ourselves. There are so many options for nearly every item in the store. The problem with this attitude showing in our lives as Christians is that it reveals that our worship is self-worship. We want what we like and what makes us feel good.
Next is “Love is not easily angered.” Is that true in your household? This is one that plagues a lot of churches and causes some to abandon going to church altogether. Anger often exposes selfish places in our hearts and insecurities that we deal with. And once again shows that our worship is misplaced.
“Love doesn’t keep records of wrongs.” This is a tough one for many of us. It is so easy to hold a hurt against the one that injured us. It is also easy to find ourselves trying to weigh out the varying hurts with the nice things someone has done for us in a way of measuring their worth in our lives. Do they do enough for us to outweigh the pain? If not maybe they shouldn’t be in our lives. This makes relationships about ourselves, doesn’t it? What if we were to love, truly love, those around us? Even our enemies, since that is who Jesus told us to love (Matthew 5:43-48). Jesus also said that our love for each other would show we are His. Our lives are to reflect Him. How would we like it if He kept a list of our wrongs constantly in front of us?
Did you notice how the list started with what love is, then switched to what love isn’t? The last of the later list is “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” When was the last time that we rejoiced at truth? When was the last time we rejoiced at something bad that came upon someone we don’t like? The answers to these questions speak to the place of our heart and show who we are worshiping.
Making It Personal
How do you feel you measure against today’s list? Do you find it hard to love your enemies? Take a look at those you consider enemies; what puts them on the list? Ask for God’s help in forgiving them and praying for them.
Making It Personal Kids
Do you get mad easily? What is something that makes you mad every time? Why do you think it makes you mad?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for making this list that we can use to evaluate our lives. Please convict us in the areas that we aren’t loving as You would have us love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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