Love is more than just a word Devotional

Love is patient , love is kind. It does not envy , it does not boast , it is not proud. It does not dishonor others , it is not self-seeking , it is not easily angered , it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects always trust , always hopes , always presevers. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is more than just a word and something that you say. Love is an action that you can choose to live out, although it is very difficult. In the Bible we see two great examples of love. The first is Hosea. God told him to marry a prostitute and she had children with other men. She was stuck in her ways to the point that Hosea had to buy her back.It had to be very difficult to show Gomer love when he was so hurt by her actions, yet he did. His love for Gomer repersents God’s love for His children. The second example is Jesus dying on the cross for us …including people that would reject Him. Greater love hath no man than this , that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 KJV Love is patient, which means love waits even when life is hard. Even when the relationship is difficult, love remains calm and trusts God through it all. Love is kind. Love is like your grandparents or q grandparent figure in your life. Grandparents are kind and willl always listen and always have something special for you. Love is not jealous. It is so easy in today’s society to be jealous, especially when you see the highlights of someone else’s life. Love does not look at the picture on social media and think, oh I wish I had that thing they have. Love looks at it like, I am so grateful God has given them that thing. It is hard, but that is love. Love does not brag about everything. Instead, it encourages and cheers people on. It brags when something truly good is happening and celebrates the good taking place such as a marriage, graduation or birth of a baby. Love respects people no matter what. Even if you disagree, love doesn’t disrespect a person-no matter what. Love doesn’t put attention on self. Love is selfless. Love is giving someone else the spotlight and the attention to shine. Love is not about you, its about others.There is no self in love there is only an o for others. Love isn’t angry it doesn’t get mad when something goes wrong, or plans change or someone hurts you. Love prays about the situation and continues on. (“In your anger do not sin”:Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”. Ephsieans 4:26 (NIV) Love does not keep a list of every wrong thing you have ever done in your life. Instead, love moves on and remembers all of the right choices you have made. Love does not delight in sin Instead, love delights in the Word and truth. Love protects in a dangerous situation. Love would be shielding someone from hurt. Love is trusting even when it is difficult to trust . Love is optimistic and hopeful love does not see all that could go wrong love sees all that God can do. Love always keeps going love continues when times are tough. Love does not stop loving the sinner. Love continues like Jesus loves us and Hosea loved Gomer. This week think of Jesus sacrifice on the cross and live out that kind of love. Let people see the love of Christ in your life reflected this week.