Friday: The Importance of Love
Read: 1 Corinthians 13, Proverbs 12:26
SOAP: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Devotion:
This passage from 1 Corinthians 13 is often used in weddings or on Valentine’s Day cards, but these verses are not primarily for married couples. It was written in a letter to a church, in the context of teaching how the church functions as the body of Christ, using individuals’ gifts for the sake of the whole community. We all need to be reminded that if we truly love our friends—and our church community should include some of our closest friends—than we will treat them the way true love does.
We can evaluate our friendships by looking at this long description and asking ourselves if our relationships look like this. Am I patient with my friends, am I kind to them, not envious of their possessions or talents? Do I brag or act arrogantly towards others? Am I rude? Do I have any other motivation for the friendship? Am I easily angered by their actions? Do I hold their sins against them? Am I honest with them? Do I bear their burdens, believe the best of their motivations, hope for the best things for them, and endure suffering and difficulty with them?
Prayer:
God, help me love my friends with this kind of love. Help me see where I need to grow and give me the grace that I need to do it. Amen.