Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Love is patient and kind. 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. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Paul’s lesson on love has much to tell us about ourselves and others. Notice there are no exceptions, no modifiers to let us out of our obligation to love one another. There’s no escape clause just as there is no escaping God’s love. Christ’s command to love one another (John 13:34-35) applies to every one of us equally. There are people who are hard to love and times when we find it difficult to love. Jesus’ answer is as constant as He is constant: love one another.
Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we fail to love as You intend. Help us to see the joy of loving through stressful times and reaching out to those we find hard to love. Amen.
