For
the next several weeks, the topic at Kingdom Bloggers centers on the fruits of
the spirit, listed above in the scripture from the Apostle Paul's letter to the
Galatians.
Love
is the first and most important of the fruit we will produce as followers of
Christ (1 Cor. 13:13). For an unparalleled example of love, we can look at the
life of Jesus--one of complete self-sacrifice, patience for and acceptance of
others (especially for the very flawed disciples), devotion to His Father in
Heaven.
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. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
There
is a reason the scripture above is read aloud at many wedding ceremonies, and
it is found in those three words in verse 8: “Love never fails.” Failure in
love happens every day. True love is not the love of man. That is evident in the
everyday selfishness we see--and participate in.
Marriages
would survive at an astounding rate if the true love described in 1 Corinthians
13 was practiced on a daily basis. But marriage can be fertile ground for both
sacrificial love and selfishness. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians,
reminds them that they are a free people, but that they are not to use that
freedom to hurt, abuse, or hate: to do so, is to live a live of slavery all over
again. Laying aside one’s right to indulge oneself, is the sign of true love
and a free life.
To
produce that kind of love is impossible in one’s own strength. That is why God
gives us His Spirit--to allow Him to plant, root and blossom this luscious
fruit of love that can quench the fire of hatred, heal wounds, grow a child, mend
a broken heart, seal a rift, change a life.
When
we hear the love scriptures read at a wedding, let’s pray that love, and all of
the fruits of the spirit, is planted and nurtured in the lives of the couple--that
God’s love would allow them to live as free people who love each other freely
and selflessly. And watch the divorce rate plummet.
