Do
you long to experience true love in your relationships with others?
Read on . . .
Real
Love Is Patient
"Love
is patient . . . " ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4a,
NIV
Real
Love Is Kind
"love
is kind." ~
1 Corinthians 13:4b,
NIV
True
Love is Gentle
"Let
your gentleness be evident to all . . ."
~Philippians
4:5, NIV.
Are
you surprised that gentleness as a hallmark of genuine love? It's
true. And not only in women. Men too. Real love is never harsh . .
. never severe . . . never violent. Where any of these three are present,
love is not. Real love is kindly, pleasant and mild in manner.
Copyright
2010 Beth Ann Ziarnik
Real
Love Is Content
"It
does not envy . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:4c,
NIV
Contented
"It
is a good thing . . . to enjoy your work and accept your lot in life
. . . God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no
time to brood over the past."
~
Ecclesiates 5: 19-20, NLT.
It's
so easy to envy others -- to be jealous of their better clothes, hair,
house, job, spouse, talents, breaks in life. But jealousy isn't love.
To really love others and enjoy life, we have to take the road of
contentment. It is a good thing to choose to be satisfied with the
blessings in your own life rather than envy the blessings in someone
else's.
Copyright
2010 Beth Ann Ziarnik
Real
Love Is Modest
"it
does not boast . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:4d,
NIV
Tempted
to Boast?
"If
I [Jesus] am merely boasting about myself, it doesn't count. But it
is my Father -- and you claim him as your God -- who is saying these
glorious things about me."
~
John 8:54, TLB.
How
easily we fall into the temptation to boast. But we see in Jesus'
example that boasting is not the way of genuine love for one another.
Jesus had no desire to make himself great in the eyes of the people.
Instead, he left the matter entirely in the Father's hands. We can
do the same by imitating his perfect example.
Copyright
2010 Beth Ann Ziarnik
Real
Love Is Humble
"it
is not proud." ~
1 Corinthians 13:4e,
NIV
Real
Love Is Appropriate
"It
is not rude . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:5a,
NIV
Real
Love Is Selfless
"it
is not self-seeking . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:5b,
NIV
A
Better Way to Win
"The
selfish man quarrels against every sound principle of conduct by demanding
his own way."
~
Proverbs 18:1, TLB.
It
pricks. It hurts. From the moment we're born, we want our own way,
and we fight to get it. But God looks at such childishness and points
us to his better way to win. A way that promotes peace and love while
it gives us a sweet and deep-down satisfaction without regrets. Instead
of quarreling, he bids us to listen to the other's counsel based on
what he says in his Word. He asks us to prefer others before ourselves
and serve their rightful needs before our own.
Copyright
2010 Beth Ann Ziarnik
Real
Love Is Slow to Anger
"it
is not easily angered . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:5c,
NIV
Real
Love Is Forgiving
"it
keeps no record of wrongs." ~
1 Corinthians 13:5d,
NIV
Real
Love Never Delights in Evil
"Love
does not delight in evil" ~
1 Corinthians 13:6a,
NIV
Real
Love Rejoices in the Truth
"
. . . but rejoices with the truth." ~
1 Corinthians 13:6b,
NIV
Real
Love Protects
"It
always protects . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:7a,
NIV
Real
Love Trusts
"It
. . . always trusts . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:7b,
NIV
Real
Love Hopes
"It
. . . always hopes . . ." ~
1 Corinthians 13:7c,
NIV
Real
Love Perseveres
"It
. . . always perseveres." ~
1 Corinthians 13:7d,
NIV
Real
Love Is Faithful
"Love
never fails." ~
1 Corinthians 13:8a,
NIV
NOTE:
Scriptures
on this page marked TLB are taken from THE LIVING BIBLE, copyright
1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scriptures
on this page marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible
Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Scriptures
marked NLT are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, New Living Translation,
copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
May
God bless you with a greater understanding of, and experience in,
what true love for each other is!
