Love is kind - Love is patient.
Love does not envy.
It does not boast.
It does not sulk
Love does not behave rude.
It is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered,
Love keeps no record of wrongs
Rejoices not in wickedness, but rejoices in the truth;
Always protects, always believes and trust, always hopes, always persevere.
Love never fails:
This is my version of 1 Corinthians 13 and we all know what it says about love, but did you ever measure yourself against this scripture. I did, AND NEARLY DIE - I dont measure at all. I believe this study is going to help me to improve myself.
LOVE IS KIND.
Is love kind only part time? Is love kind ONLY when your loved ones treat you good and with respect? NO. I believe kindness is a fulltime job; you have to be kind with people when they treat you bad. There is a LAW OF KINDNESS and for a time I was pondering on this. Law is the same as rules, commandments or regulations. All Gods rules are made to protect us. This is not a law written on our hearts its in our tongues we have to speak kindness.
Proverbs 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the LAW OF KINDNESS.
Kindness is to have compassion, to show sympathy, to act in gentleness and generosity, to let your deeds show thoughtfulness. Think of other people before you take care of your own feelings.
Because we aim to be like Jesus we are obligated to act as He did. The law of kindness requires us to be kind to one and another, to our enemies to those who are unthankful and to the evil people. There is also no such thing as TIME OUT. You have to be kind, ALL THE TIME and to ALL PEOPLE. THIS IS THE LAW OF KINDNESS.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. LOVE IS PATIENT
Patient is to be tolerant of all people weaknesses and limitations. We need to give people space to develop. We all make mistakes from time to time and best is not to go on and on about someone elses mistakes. Those, who have a very bright light, cannot blow out the candle light of our fellow Christians
Patients compels us to walk in forgiveness no matter what people do to you. The very best way to accomplish this kind of forgiveness is to set people who hurt you free before you allow your mind to run in the flesh. Did you know that your mind is so willing to show you pictures and none of them are good, (meaning word based) let me explain with an example. Say for instance your loved one is unfaithful and you hear about this. Your mind will show you pictures of them, kissing or whatever. These pictures are there to trick you to follow your flesh. When you meditate on these pictures you will become bitter and offended.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye KIND one to another, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. LOVE DOES NOT ENVY
We have to learn how to handle jealousy, because if we dont we will become so possessive, that you will not give your loved one any space to develop or to live in. We all are individual although connected with love to one and another. If you allow possessiveness you will soon find that you envy time or money your loved one spends that does not involve you. Possessiveness will open you to control your loved ones. This is very selfish and we have to get rid of this. Jealousy is like a small baboon on your shoulder if you feed it, it will grow. If you test yourself and find you envy, take notice, this is a warning that you are walking in the flesh.
1 Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? IT DOES NOT BOAST
I have done this many times and it took me a time to quit boosting. I used to stretch the truth just a little bit more to make me looks good. This on the other hand made my friend Rina, with whom I am praying for over 17 years, feel inferior. I did not even notice that I was stepping on her until someone else did the same to me, then I understood this good. To stretch the truth or to tell a whole untruthful story, to make yourself looks good is bragging and it shows that you have a problem with who you are.
James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. IT DOES NOT SULK
All women knows the power of sulking if you find that you still use sulking to get your wills and ways, then its time that your eyes opened and see that you are busy with controlling. Sulking is the same as be in a huff or to feel sorry for yourself. This is to have empathy with your own flesh and so fleshly. If you see this pattern in your live know that you have to get rid of pity party.
Sulking is not always used as a tool to control, but sometimes we sulk because we took offence. If someone doing something bad to you, make a choice, not to be offended, its not easy but if you wont, you will find yourself behind bars. Captured in your own misery, because THE OFFENDED PERSON will DEFEND his/her rights to stay in sorrow. They will cuddle the feeling of feeling sorry for themselves. Ask me, I know ALL about it because I was THERE (many times).
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
We can really come to a place where we choose not to be offended if someone offends us. Love the law of God and you will overcome.
Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. LOVE DOES NOT BEHAVE RUDE
Rudeness and disrespect walk hand in hand. I know that when someone is rude towards us, we take offence. To treat someone with respect is the genuine concern for people in their need to be loved, accepted, and treated with dignity no matter in what state of sin.
We need to be careful not to treat people rude so that you be come a stumbling block in there lifes.
Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING
This is a real tough one, because we all love ourselves but to submit with humbleness before God, in the face of personal insult and damage, to turn into calmness and to be not offended and put yourself in the shoes of the other person who is harming you. Not to seek my will and ways but to think about my brother or sister and to do what they need, even if it cost us. We have to change from being self-centered, to be God-centered.
Jesus set for us an example when He prayed Not my will
Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done
IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED
This really needs practice because anger doesnt have to rule over you, you can rule over anger. Annoyance, irritation, and antagonism are all part of anger. We as Christians do get angry but we are not allow to sin in our anger, nor are we allowed went to bed and sleeping while angry.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Romans 13:10
Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.
We all have been into arguments and at a certain point all the dead horses' get dug back up to be kicked again. This is wrong we are as Christians not allowed keeping a track record of all the wrongs done to us. If we find that during an argument, we do this, we can know that we have not forgiven whole heartily. Sometimes there is still resentment, sometimes hurtful feelings, but with hurtful feelings we make a choice not to feel that way anymore, we have to open the prison doors and to step out free. Forgiveness is the starting process of our healing. If in an argument we may find or a desire to hurt the other person and we just have to resist this feeling. To feel that way is ok but to react on your feelings is a mess. Remember always, after a few days there will be a cleaning up act and its not nice to clean out your own mess. The resentment that you will feel for yourself is not worthy that short moment you do the hurting.
REJOICE NOT IN WICKEDNESS, BUT REJOICES IN THE TRUTH.
A woman came one day to me for prayer, her fiancé moved in with someone else and she was heart broken. While sobbing she asked me to please pray that God will make this guy so unhappy so that she can be happy. Well this sums this up beautifully. We cannot be glad in the downfall of our loved ones. I know sometimes, hurt make us feels that way, but its wrong. We have to stay on our knees when bad things happen to our enemies; there is great power in our prayers for our enemies. We enjoys rather in the truth that God sent Jesus do die for our enemies as well and that Jesus did paid the price, its all up to our enemies if they are going to accept this awesome gift and that is what we pray for.
ALWAYS PROTECTS
If our loved ones sins, then we have to help them up and cover their sins. This does not mean that you go lying, but means that you dont start to gossip about it. You go to God in prayer and intercede for your loved one until you see this sin in his/her live no more. You dont go to your loved one and tries to convict them; you are not allowed to do the Holy Spirits work.
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
ALWAYS BELIEVES AND TRUST
To love is to trust and to trust is to believe. I dont say believe every word that comes out the mouth of your loved ones but believe in them, see their potential and motivate them to go for it. Always encourage your loved ones to move in Gods direction.
ALWAYS HOPES
Live next to your love one with high expectation. Let your loved one knows your hopes are invested in his/her lives. Love expects good things to happen. Hope is positive, and is always on the look out for more, better and excellent growth in Christ.
1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ALWAYS PRESEVERE
Love is something that continues. Love does not come to a stop all of a sudden. We Christians does not have a on and off switch. We cannot love one day and the next day we fall out of love its impossible. We have to preserver in love. It may not be always easy, especially in marriage but we have to stand our ground. Love is no run away and divorce is no option. If things do not work out after a few years of marriage, know that its time to persevere.
If you are divorced, please dont take offence. God hates divorce but He loves the people. The act of divorce brings much pain to the couple and children and I believe that is why God hates divorce. If you are divorced know that God loves you, He does not judge you because the price is been paid.
LOVE NEVER FAILS Yes, Jesus You showed us an excellent example of love .