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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
At one time there was a popular love song that included a lyric that was repeated over and over: “ You always hurt the one you love…” True love seems so very fragile in our world…it can break in pieces with a gentle impact or disturbance.
True, faithful and enduring love, seems indeed to be very rare. In addition, once it exists, it becomes very fragile, and easily bruised. True, unaffected, unpretentious love one might say, is almost nonexistent
There is form of affection that often passes for love, but is more friendship, or at worst, lust. Lust is labeled love in often in the world to the extent that the two words are used exchangeable, Love is an intangible. It may be defined - even experienced - but almost impossible to define as an object that can be seen.
The irony is that, with all this invisible presence, we know it exists. It exists so profoundly that we may feel it in some indefinable way. However, it is experienced (and defined) a thousand ways, Above All Love - “love the Lord above all loves…and our own life, and other’s also”
Perhaps striving to define love is a universal pastime, there seems to be hundreds of individual definitions and applications.
Can love be conditional, and remain “Love”? There is well known expression that has been around for ages: “the more I love, the less I am loved”.
Is there any method in our world that can serve to distinguish between “love” and true Love?
There is one, that applies to all types and circumstances in which we can define and experience as love. It applies in principle to any and all circumstances - everything. - personal, romantic, spiritual.
In all relationships…
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing.
If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail].
Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].
Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part [for our knowledge is fragmentary and incomplete]. But when that which is complete and perfect comes, that which is incomplete and partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].
And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.” - 1 Corinthians 13 (AMP)
God IS all these attributes.
Therefore…as have hope!
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