May 18 - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

Love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

 

We’ve been at this for a few days. Here’s the conclusion to my reflections on the most common scriptural passage used in weddings ...

 

I once heard a challenge. “Try fitting your name into this passage, and see if you are truly loving or not.” Let’s try it with my name as an example.

 

·         [Ed] is patient

·         [Ed] is kind; 

·         [Ed] does not envy

·         [Ed] does not boast; 

·         [Ed] is never arrogant

·         [Ed] is never rude. 

·         [Ed] does not insist on [his] own way; 

·         [Ed] is never irritable or resentful; 

·         [Ed] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, 

·         but [Ed] alway rejoices with the truth. 

·         [Ed] bears all things, 

·         [Ed] believes all things, 

·         [Ed] hopes all things, 

·         [Ed] endures all things.

·         [Ed’s] love never ends. 

 

Now ... go back and do it with your name!

 

·         ________ is patient

·         ________ is kind; 

·         ________ does not envy

·         ________ does not boast; 

·         ________ is never arrogant

·         ________ is never rude. 

·         ________ does not insist on [his] own way; 

·         ________ is never irritable or resentful; 

·         ________ does not rejoice at wrongdoing, 

·         but ________ always rejoices with the truth. 

·         ________ bears all things, 

·         ________ believes all things, 

·         ________ hopes all things, 

·         ________ endures all things.

·         ________’s love never ends. 

 

How’d you do?

 

Ouch, right?!

 

I have a friend who used to tell me that this was the most depressing thing I could ever ask him to do. He was a failure. He was weak. He failed at perfectly loving his wife, his kids, his neighbor, his Lord.

 

But then he discovered something. I think he said that he heard it on the radio. He was advised to insert a different phrase instead of just his own name. Try this ...

 

·         Christ in me is patient

·         Christ in me is kind; 

·         Christ in me does not envy

·         Christ in me does not boast; 

·         Christ in me is never arrogant

·         Christ in me is never rude. 

·         Christ in me does not insist on [his] own way; 

·         Christ in me is never irritable or resentful; 

·         Christ in me does not rejoice at wrongdoing, 

·         but Christ in me always rejoices with the truth. 

·         Christ in me bears all things, 

·         Christ in me believes all things, 

·         Christ in me hopes all things, 

·         Christ in me endures all things.

·         Christ love in me never ends. 

 

Do you hear the Philippians 4:13 confidence that is the Gospel promise -- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

 

You are called to be loving -- and patient, kind, enduring. But on your own you are weak and sinful. So quit trying to do it alone!

 

Until you -- both of you -- give your lives to Christ, you’re settling for mediocrity, for much less than you could be. Jesus will help you love more kindly, forgive more gracefully, endure more patiently, and rejoice more fully.

 

Question: Are you giving yourself and your marriage to him?

 

Memorization: Now that you’ve (hopefully) memorized this passage. Try saying it from memory using “Christ in me is ...”

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy with a creature

who lurks within him

(thankfully, this “creature”

is my Creator and Redeemer

and Christ in me is much

better than me by myself)