How's your 'love'-life?

Relationships... not just the lovey-dovey ones... all of them. When we're getting to know someone and we decide 'this person is pretty nice, I choose this human to get to know better', we have a honeymoon period where the person can do little wrong. Then, after a few months, we may start finding some pet peeves: 'Stop eating so loud! 'Stop complaining'. Soon, the person we couldn't wait to be around becomes that person who is still great... but 'needs fixing'.

Don't worry though, there's a fix-a-friendship verse in the Bible: 'Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud' (1 Corinthians 13:4 CEV). Ahh... it turns out it's about us, not them. To strengthen a friendship, we need to first look at ourselves and how we love others. Are we choosing patience instead of outbursts, kindness instead of cruel jokes, and what's-best-for-them rather than envy or boasting? In fact, do we truly want what's best for them?

How do we even manage that? Well, we need to have a pretty strong, secure sense of who we are, and God's love for us. Let's read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and swap 'God is...' wherever it says 'Love is...' If that's how God shows love to us, what stronger place is there from which to show love to those around us?



So what now? Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 again, and insert your name instead of 'Love' each time. Speak the scripture out loud to yourself, often - it could change your 'love'-life!





— SCRIPTURE —

'Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud.' 1 Corinthians 13:4 CEV
— SOULFOOD —

Matt 5:10, 2 Cor 4:8-10, Rom 12:14