1 Corinthians 13:13
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love is patient: When you sit by my side and look me in the eye while I tell you my problems.
Love is kind: When you kiss me on my forehead and tell me not to worry.
Love isn’t envious: When you told me how great of a person I was when I was down.
Love isn’t proud or rude: When you admit that I was right and you were wrong.
Love isn’t self-seeking: When you bought me something that day, just because.
Love isn’t easily angered: Like when I told you not to see me anymore, but instead you patiently waited for the right time to help calm me down.
Love keeps no record of wrongs: When you told me you forgot the times I hadn’t done my best. You should’ve been mad, but you told me I was worth more than that.
Love doesn’t rejoice over evil, but loves honesty: When you caught me lying to you, but you just wanted the truth and to fix what was broken.
Love always protects: When I needed you the most, you never left me.
Love always trusts: When I told you about my dreams and you pushed me to pursue them.
Love always hopes: When I thought my life was over, but you told me we would get through it.
Love always endures: I remember the time that you told me no matter what happens, God’s love for us was greater.
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Love has many facets and pieces. It’s the greatest power in the universe. God is love, and He sent Love to die for us so we can have eternal life. It is the driving force of goodness, kindness and all blessings in the world. Any good deed, kind act, and sacrifice is done out of love. You can’t see it, you can’t touch it, but you can see it through actions. There are also rules in love, and God states them in 1 Cor. 13. Each one deals with various forms of love that will arise in a relationship. God knows that love can be painful, so that’s why He tells us not to keep a record of wrongs. We will see mistakes in the other person, or they will do something that we don’t agree with or that might hurt us.
Love is a step-by-step process. It’s slow, patient, and needs much care. Unfortunately, we live in a world where everything must be done quickly and easily. Love needs to be cultivated, treated well and constantly watered to be kept alive. Just like a plant, it will die without the necessary nutrients. The benefit is that as it grows, it feeds you, blesses you and bears fruit. For example, let’s say you have a close friend, and many times you’ve been a blessing to their life. One day something unexpected happens, and you need help. That person will come to your aid, because of what you’ve sowed into their life. That won’t always happen, because sometimes people take advantage of love, and they leave us out in the cold. Has this ever happened to you? It has to me. I’ve had to learn the hard way to be wise when I trust in others. Trust is not something that is easily earned. When you have trust in someone, you know that when life gets hard, they will be there to help you out. What should we do when people hurt us, even though we put so much into the relationship and got so little back in return?
The first step is to forgive them, because the devil will tempt you to get revenge on them. The next step is to be more careful around that person and others. Christians have a tendency to be very gullible and open their heart very easily. Don’t let people fool you with a smile and a nice conversation. The bible says we are to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. Be guided by the Holy Spirit, and discern how people are behaving with you. There can be friends, family members, or even church members that are using you in one way or another. Never allow your love to be used for the benefit of others in a selfish way. God, who is love, has placed Himself inside of you. There is love flowing out of you at all times, and how much of it is allowed to touch others is up to you. Whether it’s by simple acts you do throughout the day, or in major decisions that will change your life forever, the choice is always yours. Let your wellspring of love affect every part of your life. Permit your life to be flooded with the only physical proof that people will ever see of Jesus, and that’s His love flowing through you. It can be through a prayer for someone to be healed, helping someone lift something, a kiss on the cheek, or going out of your way for others. There are endless ways to let love bloom. All you have to do is give love a chance, take that risk, and let God reach out through you and touch others. Do something today that you’ve been holding back on. Did you want to buy someone something, but you hesitated? Were you going to make a phone call that you knew would bless the other person, but didn’t? Think about all those undone “love acts”, and do at least one today.
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Illumination Poetry 
Powerful, beautiful and so true! ❤
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