...and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13- If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,a]">[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;b]">[b]  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

  Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part,  but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.  When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

How many weddings have we attended where we have heard this scripture? It contains some of the most recognizable Bible verses, even among non believers. Why then, do we continue to ignore the message? This four letter word has the power to overcome so much of our daily grief, if only we choose to show it. It’s simple, really.

 Is your child being disobedient? Love him. Is your spouse argumentative? Love him. Is your neighbor antagonizing? Love him. Are there family members who don’t share your love for Christ? Love them.

We know that we, too are unlovable at times, yet Romans 5:8 tells us that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What better demonstration of love could we experience? 

It’s not easy loving those who we deem undeserving, but it is a command that we cannot ignore. Who am I to count someone unworthy of love, even in a moment? None of us deserves the love of Christ that is grace, but we receive it as a free gift.

February is typically a month we show love with gifts and cards. Let us make every effort to show kindness and love daily by sharing a smile, an invitation or a compassionate word, without the prompting of a greeting card holiday.
                                                    P.S. I love you!!