Tough Standard

Tough Standard

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The multilayered facets of love. Are these as tough for you to put into practice as they are for me? I have a feeling that they are, or the apostle Paul wouldn’t have challenged us with them. Everything he says about love is an action directed toward others and in particular, how a person is to treat other people. I suspect Paul had me in mind when he wrote these words.

And then if reading this now weren’t striking enough, we probably hear this passage read in at least half the weddings we attend. Maybe God knows He needs to remind me—that eventually I will get it right. Don’t get me wrong—this is a beautiful passage of Scripture. But for me to put it into practice and live up to what Paul is describing—well, that’s a different story altogether.

Love is patient and doesn’t demand its own way. Those two actions alone often disqualify me and would be difficult enough, since that requires me to put someone else’s needs ahead of mine. I (or should I say we?) tend to filter most of life through the lens of what’s in it for me (or us). Let’s face it, we have many things we need and want that don’t always allow time for patience. And “keep[ing] no record of being wronged” is just about impossible in any relationship—with friends, family members, coworkers—for any length of time. I know I’m guilty, so I’ll ask you, how are you doing with not keeping a record of being wronged? How are doing on your list of people you need to forgive and not hold a grudge against, no matter what they may have done to you?

Of course, here’s the good news. Through Christ all things are possible, and we can love others through the grace that He provides rather than following our own self-centered instincts.

What about your love in action? How does it measure up?

Uncommon Key > Breaking down the different traits of love into separate actions may be a way to make them become a habit. Work hard on ones that seem to describe you. And pray for God to help you discern the steps you need to take to live them out daily.