Love-Part 2

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.

What would happen if we viewed THIS is a checklist?

We usually say, Faith is not about a checklist. But really - we believe that God isn’t just looking at a checklist to determine if we’re saved or not. But God HAS given us a list of things that we’ll do as we draw closer to him.

This list, it’s not something God uses to grade our score.

But it IS something we can use to evaluate ourselves. So here’s a series of questions.

Now, before we begin, there’s an important thing I need to explain.

There is a caveat about how we apply this list

Understand what I mean. This is about our character, our choices, our values. And they apply to relationships.

But I've seen lots of times that people stick out genuinely hateful, hurtful situations because ‘love always perseveres’. People believing lies from partners because ‘love always trusts’.

It’s not loving to allow evil to fluorish. It’s not loving to allow pain to continue unchecked.

But even in the worst situations, God is still intimately invested in if we become the kind of people driven by love, or by hate.

How do I first react?

Am I patient?

Patience here doesn’t just mean ‘the ability to wait’

Patience here is a measurement of how much you’re wiling to put up with for the other person’s good

Am I kind?

Kindness is the other side of this coin. How much are you willing to be considerate about the other person

Both of these ask - how do I react first? Do I glance at my watch, and do whatever I can to move that person along? Do I cut conversations short to get to what I want out of it?

Or am I willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of helping others? Am I willing to be considerate first and foremost about the other person and their needs?

This is important because the first thought out of the gate is often the most revealing about our real character.

How do I view others?

Do I envy? Do I boast? Am I proud?

Love is concerned about having a healthy view of other people.

Envy can be dangerous because it makes other people occupy a place reserved for God

Boasting and pride are about putting ourselves above other people

Both are about our view of other people. Do we see them as something to be worshipped and envied? Or do we see them as less than us?

Putting someone else up that high isn’t love, it’s idoltry

Putting ourselves up that high isn't love, it's pride and vanity

How do I treat others?

Do I dishonor others?

Am I self seeking?

Am I easily angered?

Do I keep a record of wrongs?

This is the nitty gritty of application.

I love this view on dishonor. We often have an anti-biblical view of honor (1 cor 12- concept of giving honor to those who lack it).

The others - am I only (or primarily) concerned about myself?

Am i short fused or tally up all the wrongs against me?

The root of these values are, ‘are we treating others the way God treats us?’

Imagine if God didn’t keep these values

This next one has a special place in my heart.

What is my view on truth?

STORY - seeing a person get hurt that hurts you

Do I delight in evil if it makes me feel justified or victorious?

Or do I always rejoice in the truth?

This can be a hard one. But we need to ask ourselves - are we willing to settle for an evil action that feels justified?

Or are we willing to push further until we see God's truth manifest in a situation?

The last question:

What are my ‘always’?

Paul says to always protect.

Love and safety are very closely intertwined.

Bible says no greater love than this, that you lay down your life for a friend

Always trust.

REALLY IMPORTANT NOTE - this doesn’t say, always trust everyone all the time.

But you can tell the difference between a person fundamentally driven by trust, versus a person fundamentally driven by distrust

Always hope.

Hope is what makes the difference between driving towards a good future or a bleak future

Always persevere

Love always perseveres because there’s never a scenario where we say, ok, love doesn’t apply here anymore

This is the way to live like and show Christ