Today, we wrap up our weekly theme of focusing on how to adopt a mindset and attitude of love when we are constantly surrounded by a culture of anger and hate. I hope you have been inspired and challenged by the Word, just as I have. Sometimes it’s hard to read and even harder to live out, but we so need it, especially in this world consumed by selfishness and hate.

You’d be hard-pressed to go to a Christian wedding and not hear some part of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 read, also known as The Love Chapter. But today, let’s look at how Paul defined biblical love in verses 4-7 as we think about being proactive in love to battle hate.

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.

I tend to read or hear this passage and think about how I don’t love, based on the definition we are given here. Do you feel that way? Why might we hear these words through a negative filter? Because even with those closest to us and when and where we work really hard to be good at love, we are still selfish sinners.

So, how can we possibly love anyone like this? Friend or foe? Family or enemy? I want to ask you to listen again to this same passage but I’m going to change out one word throughout. That will give us the only possible way we can love as we are taught here. Listen with your heart …

Jesus is patient and kind. Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Jesus does not demand his own way. He is not irritable, and He keeps no record of being wronged. Jesus does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Isn’t that incredible? Jesus can be interchanged with the word “love” because He is love and the embodiment of God’s love. So, the closer we get to Jesus, the closer we get to love. The more we follow Jesus, the more we walk in the ways of love. And the more we fall in love with Jesus, the farther away from hate we get, and the more our lives will provide an answer to a world filled with hatred.

 Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, teach me to love like You, to be patient and kind, not jealous, rude, or boastful, to not demand my own way, or be irritable, and keep record of wrongs. Help me to rejoice in Your truth, to never give up on love, never lose faith in You, and endure because of You. As above, so below.”