What Love Does (1 Cor. 13:4-8)
"Love suffers long and is kind; . . . thinks no evil; . . . rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails"(1 Cor. 13:4-8, NKJV).
Love defined is the first step; love applied is the next. We must be careful not to glibly say we love; but rather, we need to analyze carefully how we live and how well we apply the principles of love as expressed in the Bible.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Look at each individual aspect of what love is and ask, How can I apply these principles in my own home?
Think for a moment of what our homes would be like if by God's grace we consistently practiced the qualities of true love. Imagine the blessing of living in an environment where the family members are positive and affirming of each other. Perhaps you can't get others to do this, but if you were to apply these principles, you might just see how powerful an impact they could make on others. You can't argue against love; it's the most powerful force in all of creation. People can argue against your theology, your lifestyle, your beliefs, your faith--everything. But what argument can they use against unconditional love, the kind of love revealed to the world through Jesus, the kind of love we can, through His grace, manifest to others?
Which characteristics of biblical love do you find the most difficult to implement in your own life? How can you make a concentrated effort through God's grace to cultivate more of this aspect of love? Why is it important that you do so?
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