Love is Kind
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I am a guest at about 2-3 weddings a month and have heard this passage (1 Cor. 13) a number of times and it is pretty much a staple saying at most of them. This is a very good reminder on how to respond and interact with your spouse or loved ones when you “feel” quite the contrary.
I have a philosophy back ground and as such I like to ask the ubiquitous question, “why.” I don’t ask this because I am trying to be obstinate but only to better understand truth. It would be certainly okay to place ones name every time the word love is used. And of course the focus of my behavior would be towards the one that I love. So you could read the first sentence this way
For example, “Peter is patient, kind, will not envy and will not boast or be proud (towards the one that he loves.)” Go ahead and insert your name and see how you are doing.
So why would I act in a loving manner? Although I would because “I love” the person the reason is really because that person is the one that I chosen to commit to honor “my love” as well as create an environment that “my love” can flourish. “My love” is always my love no matter what and I act in such a way that reveals that to them.
So why is it that I am patient and kind, not envious, boastful, proud, self-seeking, angry, protects, trusts, hopes, and long suffering towards my love? It is because I have chosen her to be so.
About the Author: Peter Doyle is the Wedding Photographer for the Bespoke Life while at the same time attempting to live a life that his future grandchildren will be proud of.
May I just comment briefly and say that your thoughts are most delightful to read? Sobering, reflective - yet delightful.
It is key to acknowledge, that superceeding a personal choice to commit devotion to one’s Beloved, such Love (the I Corithians ch. 13 kind)cannot be mustered by human will-power. It is a Divine Love, and only a heart yielded to His hand can be a vessel for His Love to flow through.
Love is sacrificial by design; and Love is released only by surrendering to the Source. It is God’s Love that ties a couple together for all time… it is God Himself, for God IS Love… and this is the MOST delightful Truth to realize.
Brief huh….
It seems that you are on to something here. We are spiritual beings and to know the proper way to do “something” is to find the correct definition of that “something.” If that “something” is found in the nature of God then by all means that should be our north star.