Feb 14-15 - Colossians 3:14

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Above all,

clothe yourselves with love,

which binds everything together

in perfect harmony

Colossians 3:14

 

What is love?

 

When I was a kid, my generation was told that “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.” (This was the name of a movie. It was an Academy Award winning instrumental score. It was a show tune that was frequently covered by artists as varied as Frank Sinatra and Ringo Starr. It was even a soap opera that ran every afternoon during my childhood!)

 

Love is, indeed, a many-splendored thing, and we could talk a long time about love and it’s many splendors … but what is the one thing that today’s verse needs to teach us?

 

This verse teaches us that love is glue. It “binds [us] together.” It sticks us to the ones we want stick with. It’s Elmer’s glue. 

 

In 1 Peter 4:8, the Apostles tell us, “most important of all, ... show deep love for each other.” Why? Because “love covers a multitude of sins.”

 

Love is glue. It “covers” the gaps between two people. Sometimes sin causes those gaps between two human beings. Sometimes it’s misunderstandings. Sometimes it’s just the simple differences between two people … including husband and wife. But what covers the gaps? Love. It’s the glue that binds two different and otherwise dividable people together.

 

But there’s a different kind of “bind” and “binding” that some people encounter in relationships. Some people see marriage as binding – binding, like in handcuffs, restricting our freedom. For those who look at marriage in this way, what really and truly is missing is love. Rather than binding (handcuffing) us to another person, love binds (joyfully joins) us to our beloved. My strengths are shared with my bride. Her strengths are added to mine. We’re definitely better together. And love is the glue that creates this strength. 

 

Question of the Day: Think of your closest relationship(s). What differences, sins, and misunderstandings are in your relationship and still need to be bridged (covered)? What aspects of love – patience, kindness, forgiveness, etc. – do you need to develop personally to help you bridge these differences?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy named Elmer

(the glue-guy)