Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (ESV)
⁴  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
⁵  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

Love. Is is mushy gushy feeling? Is it more than a second hand emotion like Tina Tuner sang about.  Is love something you do or something you feel. Maybe it is a combination of both. 

According to our scripture love is patient. Another way to say it is that love is song suffering. That could be in the form of a missionary in hostile territory. It could be in the form of tortured and martyred muslim converts savagely slaughtered for their faith in Jesus. It might in the form of a spouse treated without respect and kindness for years but chooses to stay anyway. It might be in the form of a friend betrayed who chooses to forgive. Long suffering love, patient love is on display around the globe. I wold not go so far as to say this type of love is prevalent.

Love is kind. To show kindness means to display benevolence and to help people. You do such things with no strings attached. It is love on display in tangible expressions. Service acts. Helpful acts. All part of real love. We have seen this in many volunteers helping with hurricane Harvey and Irma recovery efforts.

Love does not envy. Love does not covet nor is jealous. This sure seems to be in short supply. Envy is epidemic. Coveting calluses hearts. Jealously jeopardizes the effectiveness of the church. Envy is everywhere. In sports, at school, on the job, in the neighborhood, and sadly even at church.

Love does not seek its own way. To put it another way, love is not selfish. Love is willing to defer to others. Love denies selfish desires for the best for the other party. Love is not so much about what a person can receive but what they can give.

Love is not irritable. That means love is not easily provoked or easily exasperated. Who has not fallen into this sin. We say things like, "That person woke up on the wrong side of the bed." When people are irritable others walk on egg shells so as not to set them off. This could be with a sullen spouse, a moody boss, temperamental children, and a demanding parent. Love does not behave that way.

Love is not resentful. It does not keep a record of wrongs suffered. Love does not think about and dwell where others have failed. Love does not keep want to reconcile accounts at the end of the day. Love forgives. Love extends grace. Love embraces mercy.

After all of that how many really love like we should? All of those things are the personification of Jesus. Through His Spirit alone can we love like this.