1 November | EVERYONE
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Defining love is an impossible task because God is love and no combination of human words would be able to define Him. It is interesting that in the Bible its writers do not stop to develop definitions and concepts. That would be swimming in the deep pit of theory devoid of practicality. The emphasis of the sacred authors is on the application of the concepts to daily life.
That is why there is no theoretical definition of love in the Bible; rather, we find a practical description of its characteristics. Through them, we can see how love works. The apostle Paul, in describing the traits of true love, wants to move us to ask: What would our home be like if those traits were present in the love of every member of the family?
Paul mentions love as the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit does not appear instantly. Do not despair if tomorrow you do not see these characteristics in your way of loving. Just go to Jesus, seek Him every day in prayer, beg Him to develop in you the capacity to love, and you will be amazed at the results.
That was the experience of the apostle John. John came to Jesus as the "son of thunder;” but in his daily life with his Master, he grew day by day until love, a fruit of the Spirit, appeared in his life. When we see him on the island of Patmos years later, he is no longer the "son of thunder." He has become the "disciple of love."
Take Action
The miracle par excellence is having God’s character reproduced in us thanks to the presence of the Spirit. Can you imagine not feeling envy, resentment, or eagerness to look for your own, etc.? Make Jesus the center of your life! Sing "Love Never Fails" (if possible, with your family).