Love

I've been thinking about love lately because I've been so dang bad at it. I mean, horribly bad. In fact, I've been realizing over the past year that I may have had a little bit of flesh-generated love for some people, but that stuff runs out quick and is worthless even while it lasts. So, I've been thinking about it. And praying about it. Asking God to give me His love for people. Cuz I'd much rather have His love than any more of the sorriness that I might be able to muster.

Most recently, I've been pondering 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

Pondering this means trying to forget that it is, unfortunately, so popular that we can read it with glazed eyes and dull hearts. So, I try to read it as if I'm reading it for the first time. And, oh my goodness, it is the most piercing scripture ever. Just cuts me to the quick like a double edged sword, then gives a nice little twist for added emphasis. This passage reveals how far from love I live and act and think. It also shows that there is no way you can love in the flesh. Because ever single thing love does is everything that we don't do naturally. And every single thing love doesn't do is everything we do naturally. I want to begin reading this passage every morning when I wake up. Because not only is this heart-wrenchingly convicting, but it's unbelievably comforting...this is God's love toward us. And if He can love us like this while we were His enemies (and give us His Son), then surely we should love others like this. And Jesus, sweet Jesus, absolutely perfected and exampled and lived and died this love here on earth for us. Father, please give us your Spirit and fill us with your love so that we can love like you love.

Today, I read 1 Peter 4:8 and was struck by it.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8 ESV)

I wondered what "earnestly" meant - because surely our modern English word can't capture what I suspect this word originally meant. And sure enough, it meant more than "earnest" can capture.

ektenḗs (an adjective, /ek, "wholly out" which intensifies teinō, "to stretch" which is also the root of English terms, "tension" and "tense") – properly, stretch out, i.e. fully because completely taut; (figuratively) at maximum potential, without slack because fully extended to its necessary outcome.

Basically, it literally means stretched. Stretching something usually means a little discomfort and risk of tearing. Stretching something also makes that something more used to stretching, which reduces the risk for tearing. Stretching means effort. And I find it interesting that the next part of the verse says that love "covers" a multitude of sins - like a well-stretched fabric.

I so desire to love in this way. Lord, please help me.