Beloved let us love one another." I John 4:7

"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 Corinth. 13:4-7

A favorite Bible study method of mine is to take a passage of scripture and personalize it by putting it in the first person. It was a humbling experience when I tried to do this with I Corinthians 13. I am patient and kind? Hardly. I envy not. No. I am not proud. Yeah right! I don't seek my own way. Ask people who know me. I think no evil, bear all things, believe all things, endure all things. I don't think so.

Yet, as I read this, I begin to realize that this is not simply a nice idea or a goal to work toward, but a commandment of God. It's very clear. He says "Love one another as I have loved you." Ouch. He obviously believes I am capable of such love. Maybe the problem is that I don't see that in myself. God has a lot more faith in my ability to love than I do. I know the affronts I've suffered. I know the hurts I've endured. I know my weaknesses. And what I forget is that God knows all this too, and He still says, "Beloved, love one another."

So, then a lack of love results from a lack of faith. I really don't believe God's word which says I can love in this manner. I don't believe that God can plant that type of love inside of me. It's one thing to believe that God can move a mountain, but to allow me to love the person who insulted me, that's something else entirely.

But then perhaps I'm getting this all wrong. I'm expecting to be able to love others in my own power. Maybe I'm rewriting this the wrong way. Let's try it again: Jesus is patient and kind. He envies not is not puffed up. He beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things and endureth all things. Well, now that makes sense. And He is living in me and through me right? Does that mean that one day, that scripture might just be describing me. Well...maybe... Amen and Amen.