Love is a State of Being Not a State of Doing
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4. ____________is patient and kind; ___________ does not envy or boast; __________ is not arrogant 5or rude. __________ does not insist on its own way; ___________ is not irritable or resentful;b 6 ___________does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7___________ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8___________ never fails.
Put your name in the blank.
1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter and is often quoted at weddings. But, what would happen if we put our name in the place of love? After all God is love. (1 John 4:8) How would it change us if we could say that love is not something that we do, but our state of being. Our very DNA is made of love!
There seems to be a clear shift in the disciples because they experienced first hand the love of God, through Jesus Christ. My first experience with God, he opened my eyes to his love for me. I could now see it in creation, in those around me, in scripture, in worship. The reason why scripture speaks of putting on our new selves is that love changes us, how we interact with the world, how we see ourselves and others. When someone loves at this level it is head turning!
So much of how we love is based upon what we do, not who we are.
Do you do romantic things for your spouse?
Do you speak kind words?
Do you provide encouragement for others?
Do you serve others?
Do you give to the poor?
Do you share your faith?
Paul is challenging the believer to stop doing, and start being love! Putting my name in the place where love is causes me to stop striving and start abiding in the love of Christ. Love does not just go out it is always coming in through our relationship with Jesus. Only then can we be love, rather then a to do list.
I think it is clever the way you want us to put our names in the blank. Makes you sit up and think far more
Thanks Michelle. You are right, it made me consider love on a deeper level.