Thursday, June 12, 2014

True Love Is Defined By What We Say And Do....24/7


Song Of Solomon 8:6-7 -  Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.  Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
 
Solomon ends his great poem by reminding us of the qualities of true love.  It is sealed permanently…. until death. It is stronger than the mightiest fire ever built. It cannot be washed away by any river of hardship or pain.  It is freely given…not bought for any price.  True love roots itself so deep within the heart that nothing can ever change its commitment.
 
Paul adds some great details to Solomon’s great description in 1 Corinthians 13.  He says that love is also patient…kind…forgiving…. and does not understand the concept of bitterness and jealously.  He broadens the concept of Solomon’s love poem to include all people….saying that once we accept God into our lives…we should love others more than we love ourselves.
 
Paul says that if we never understand and show this type of love that we are just clanging cymbals…shouting mere words at people. He says this type of love should rule everything we do…every decision that we make….24/7.
 
I admit that I have fallen short of this goal….more times than I care to admit.  I also admit that God has forgiven me way more than I have forgiven others…but that is another cool thing about love.  It’s forgiven erases the wrongs and gives us as many do overs as we need to get it right.
 
Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to redefine my concept of love.  Forgive me for the times I have failed to love others the way you love me.  Help me to be more patient…kind…forgiving…and allow you to shape my heart into a vessel that can love the way you love all of us.  Amen.

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