Love Endures All Things

By: Jenifer Metzger

Love bears all things, believes all

things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7 CSB

Love doesn’t quit.

Love doesn’t give up.

Love endures all things.

We can apply this kind of enduring love to multiple types of relationships in our life; the marriage relationship, the parent/child relationship, and friendship.

First, let’s look at the marriage relationship. Think back to your wedding vows. The vows we repeated before God and our loved ones tell us how a marriage is to endure. “For better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish.” They don’t say, “For better or quit, for richer or quit, for health or quit.”

Unfortunately, marriage this day in age is throw away. It isn’t working, quit. I once had a woman tell me that she wasn’t sure she wanted to marry her husband, but she figured if she didn’t like being married to him after a while, she would just divorce him. That is not enduring love. That is not how God sees marriage. God’s way is to endure, to be in it for the long haul.

He leaves his shoes out constantly. He frequently forgets to thank you for dinner. He doesn’t tell you how beautiful you are as often as you would like. He spends more money than you can afford to spend. We can all probably think of that one thing our husband does that drives us crazy. But love still endures.

An enduring love doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement and growth. It doesn’t mean we should avoid those hard but necessary conversations. But it does mean we don’t give up just because we tripped over his sneakers again or he spent too much time with his buddies. Love endures.

Second, let’s look at the parent/child relationship. We know a mother’s love never stops. We know how deeply we love our children and the very thought of giving up on them is unfathomable. But what about when your toddler has been whining and hanging on you all day long? When your eight year old refuses to listen to anything you say? When your teenager is rude and disrespectful? When your prodigal is so far from God and battling addictions you never thought you’d face?

We may never give up on our child, but have we given up on praying for them? Do our prayers have endurance? Do we seek God for wisdom in dealing with our children or for deliverance of what our child is facing? Love endures, and we need to make sure our prayers are enduring as well.

And third, let’s look at friendship. Too often we walk away from a friendship because of an offence or difference of opinion. She didn’t check on me when I was sick or facing this hardship, I am done! She didn’t offer to help me when I said how busy I was, I need a better friend! She doesn’t believe how I believe, I can’t be friends with her anymore!

For many years I felt I didn’t need friends. I had my husband, who as cliché as it may sound is my best friend, and I had my mom. That was all I needed and all I wanted. Then God placed two women in my life. We were unlikely friends and we had little other than Jesus in common. But the closer we grew to each other, the more I understood the need we have for women in our lives. To have a woman in our corner rooting for us. A woman who lifts us in prayer regularly. A woman who takes us to the feet of Jesus. 

And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic

carried by four men. And when they could

not get near Him because of the crowd, they

removed the roof above Him, and when they

had made an opening, they let down the bed

on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw

their faith, He said to the paralytic,

“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:3-5 CSB

The four men carried their friend to see Jesus in hopes of a healing. First, we don’t know exactly how far they carried the paralyzed man, but we know it could have been a long way. No car, no wheelchair to push, they carried him. When they arrived, it was so crowded, they couldn’t get to Jesus. They could have given up, many of us would, yet they endured. They found a way to get their friend to Jesus. Verse 5 says, “When Jesus saw their faith.” It was because of their faith, because of his friends, that he was forgiven and it goes on to then say he was healed.

Years ago when my grandmother was rushed by ambulance to the emergency room and we were unsure of what was wrong or what would happen, I couldn’t pray. I was paralyzed with fear. I shot a quick text to those two ladies I previously mentioned simply saying, “My grandmother is on her way by ambulance to the ER, pray.” That was all they needed to hear and they carried us to the feet of Jesus. We need friends who will endure and get us to the feet of Jesus, and we need to be that kind of friend.

What about Jesus? What if Jesus had given up? What if He had not endured?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so

great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay 

aside every weight, and sin which clings so

closely, and let us run with endurance the

race that is set before us, looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith, who

for the joy that was set before him endured

the cross, despising the shame, and is seated

at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 CSB

He endured the cross. Jesus endured for you and me. He endured a beating you and I could never even begin to comprehend. He endured death. He didn’t have to. He chose to, for us. Can we strive to have an enduring love like Jesus?

Our love, whether for our spouse, our children, or a friend, needs to be a love that endures all things. 

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, we are not telling you to endure abuse. Seek help. If you don’t know where to turn, reach out to us and let us help you. 

Discussion:
1. Share an example of enduring love in your life?
2. Which area do you think you need to work on/pray about, enduring love in marriage, parenting, or friendship?

Love in Action

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Ave Calvar

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” ~1 John 4:9

It is not simply enough to say you love someone. We know that the love we claim to have for others absolutely must be proven by action or else it isn’t love at all.

This is a truth that has been running through my mind for a while now. And it was confirmed for me in the clearest way in a Scripture passage I read recently - the one quoted above.

Interestingly, the same exact concept written by John in today's verse was also taught by Jesus Himself when He said that *if* we love Him, then we will *obey* Him.”

Love is always proven by action. Mere words simply do not suffice.

Jesus commanded that we *love* one another. How would you say we are we doing on that? Are we loving people in word only? Or do they actually feel and see our love in real and tangible ways? Are we saying we love them, when really we are just judging everything they do? Are we saying we love them, when really we are shunning and rejecting them? Are we saying we love them when really we are only speaking truth to them, but failing to back up that truth with hands-and-feet-of-Christ action?

Throughout the Scriptures we read the concept that it is God‘s *kindness* that led to our repentance. If we want to reach the world for Christ, if we want to be an encouragement and edification for our brothers and sisters, we are going to have to love them. Which means that they are going to have to see and feel and know our love. Nothing else will do.

Reflection Question:

1) What kind of media; would you receive in the "love olympics"? How are you doing in the area of loving others well?

2) What holds you back from loving well?

3) What do you need to do or say to address that struggle? 

Tell His Story

 By: Joanne Viola

 

For some time we have been told our stories matter. And they do. They are important.

But lately it has been in my thoughts that our stories are important because they are God’s story.

Our stories reflect the activity and work of God in our lives. It demonstrates how God works in the human heart so that more of Him is seen.

Testimony has been defined as an open declaration or statement. We tend to use it more in terms of evidence in support of a fact in a court of law.

John, in writing the epistles, wanted to make sure people for all time would be sure of what he was writing:

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes,
what we have looked at and touched with our hands,
concerning the Word of Life – and the life was manifested,
and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life,
which was with the Father and was manifested to us –
what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
(1 John 1:1-3, NIV)

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”
(1 John 4:14, NIV)

John wanted us to know they were eye witnesses, they saw and heard the events as they occurred.

We need to tell our experiences as well. Those in our lives need to hear the way God’s grace, mercy, and salvation are at work in our world yet today.

“They triumphed over him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
(Revelation 12:11, NIV)

Our testimonies, our stories, become the means by which we overcome and defeat the enemy of our souls. Satan would love for nothing better than to destroy or mar our testimonies.

He attempts to make our testimonies ineffective because He knows they wield a powerful effect when combined with God’s Word. Our stories can encourage others, infusing them with hope, as they hear of God’s work in our lives.

May our stories tell not of our own achievements
but of God’s power
at work in, and through, our situations.

 

Reflection:
Do you ever feel like your story, your testimony, is not needed? May you realize today God is writing His story to a broken world through each one of our lives, including your own.

 

Image by Dorothe from Pixabay

 

 

Press On to Know the Lord

By: Lauren Thomas

Last year at this time I had crocuses blooming in my backyard. This year, as I write, the 10-day forecast holds another 12 inches of snow and single-digit temperatures. Even so, I know with certainty that spring will come. It is similar in spiritual seasons. When I am in a spiritual season of winter – where everything feels barren and dark – I know that I will again feel the presence of the Lord. As certain as spring comes again, the Lord will come to me again.

 

Oh, that we might know the Lord!
    Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
    or the coming of rains in early spring.”

Hosea 6:3 NLT

 

There are seasons of the soul that feel abundant, where we flourish and feel the light of His presence. And there are seasons of the soul that feel dry, deserted, and barren. There are seasons where we closely sense the presence of the Lord. And there are seasons when He feels too far away to respond.

 

But even there, the Lord is working. Samuel Rutherford, a 17^th century Scottish minister and theologian wrote, “Grace groweth best in winter.” This came from a man who lost six of his children before they reached the age of 5. I’m therefore inclined to believe that he knew what he was talking about. This was a man who was no stranger to soul-winter.

 

Even in the winter, when growth is not visible, beneath the soil roots are growing, strengthening, replenishing stores of energy. As Hosea 6:3 exhorts, this process involves our active pressing on. It is not a passive thing. We may want to sit back and be passive with our spirituality in seasons when we cannot feel His presence. But instead we press on, encouraging ourselves with this one, vital fact: just as spring does come, so will His Spirit.

 

Don’t give up on Him. Press on. He’s on His way. He’s coming to you.

 

Reflection:

How would you describe the spiritual season you are in presently?

What might God be growing in you in the season you find yourself?

How can you actively press on to know the Lord today?

 

 

Learning to Trust

 By: Grace Metzger 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
 And lean not on your own understanding.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

My coworker and I like to joke about how I’m such a distrustful person. At my job it’s very easy to get in trouble or even fired from a single mistake. I’ve seen it happen plenty of times in the past so I’ve become extremely cautious over everything I do.  However this joke started getting to my head, have I really become so independent that I don’t trust anyone? Has this happened in my relationship with God?

Whenever I am afraid,
 I will trust in You.
Psalms‬ ‭56‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I’ve thought about my current situation, the troubles I’m experiencing in my life right now. Was I trusting God through this? Was I believing that He had control over it? Sadly, I don’t think I can confidently say that I had total trust in God. Instead, I was allowing my anxiety to control my thoughts. 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
 with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As I was thinking about this, I thought about this verse in Philippians. I remember learning this verse as a child and repeating it over and over again whenever my anxiety rose. I love this verse so much because shows that God understands us. He knows that we have a habit of allowing anxiety to control us so He used His word to give us instructions on how to trust Him. 

We need to give it to Him in prayer. When we pray, we are relinquishing control and fears over our problems and giving them to God. I’ve noticed a change when I pray over the storms in my life and stop thinking about it. When fear tries to take control I remind myself I already gave it to God. It’s no longer mine to fear, if it’s not my problem then why do I worry over it? 

Discussion Questions: What helps you when you're lacking in trust and faith?