I was reading in 1 Corinthians 13 today, you know the chapter that talks about all the things that love is. It really touched me this morning. In this world we live in, love is misrepresented on a regular basis. And it's hard to believe in the things this chapter speaks of in the midst of hurtful words, lonely nights, mistreatment, divorce, heartache, shattered dreams, and cynical thoughts. But what the Lord desperately wants us to know is that, the way "love" is carried out in this world, is not the way that love is carried out in His throne room. When hurtful words are spoken, that is not love. When little ones are abandoned, that is not love. When people are mistreated, that is not love. When two people decide they are just not happy anymore and end their marriage, that is not love. When cynicism creeps in to numb the pain, that is not love. When we watch characters on tv shows have one one-night stand after another, that is not love. When we are the victim of someone else's temper, that is not love.
And I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Well, of course these things are not love." And I know this in my head, but it's something I have to remind my heart of everyday. We are taught all the time what love is not. And we seem to equate our circumstances to the Lord. But God is love. And love is poorly represented in this world we live in. God's love for us is so different than what we've tasted in this life. It is not dependent on people, it certainly is not reflected in the media, and it does not rely on circumstances. It is above this world, it is without end, and it remains. Love never fails. God's loving heart for us always, protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.
