Read 1 Corinthians 13:4b-5 NLT
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
As a child I loved the Berenstain Bears books. The lovable bears with their silly antics seemed to get themselves in all sorts of trouble and the stories read sort of like a comical “how to” manual of what NOT to do. This week’s verses have the same sort of feel to me. I can almost imagine this is advice based on experience of how the writer got love all wrong – a strong warning of what NOT to do if you want to love people well.
This week, we are going to break these verses down, one “how not to” love example at a time, asking God to help us examine our hearts and to be honest about how we love those around us. For today, let’s start with prayer!
God,
Thank You for Your example of love. Help us to examine our hearts and our motives this week in how we treat others. Give us moments to pause, to be honest with ourselves, and hear from You. Shape our hearts to look more like yours, wiping away all the stubborn and sinful parts of us so that we reflect the love You so graciously have given to us. Amen.
