DEVOTION – DAY 374

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Loving Others”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always hopes, always perseveres.”

The above verses are well-known. They are often used in weddings to remind the wedded couple of their love for each other. However, the apostle Paul wrote these verses to remind the people in the Corinthian church to love one other. These verses were meant to be a guide as to how a Christian was to love one another, just as the Lord Jesus loved them, unconditionally.

But there are Christians who fail to love their fellow Christians in this way. Instead, they allow the world’s influences to affect the way they treat their fellow Christians, They are impatient, when their fellow Christians are slow in responding. They are critical of others, thinking that they are better than others. They take offense easily over some perceived wrongs which they keep in their hearts. They refuse to forgive others. Such behavior and attitudes go against how Christians should exercise their love for one another.

We know someone who loves her fellow Christians in the way Paul encourages Christians to love one another. This woman shows patience and love to others in amazing ways. She would go out of her way to offer a lift to people to go to church even though she is in her late seventies and is starting to have Parkinson’s disease. She never has a negative thing to say about anyone, preferring to pray for others, and to be quick to forgive and to forget their wrongs. She was asked why she was so kind to others and whether people might take advantage of her kindness. She replied that it was better to be kind because that was what the Lord would have her do to others. She was not worried if others would take advantage of her so long as they saw the Lord’s love for them, through her kindness.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for showing how we are to love another. Forgive us for the times when we failed to love one another in ways that honor You. Please help us to love others unconditionally, just as You have loved us unconditionally. We humbly pray in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

1. How does the way you treat other Christians show what you really think of them? Do you show them Christ-like love, or is it a worldly kind of love? Worldly love means that you return love when others show love to you. If they do not show love to you, you will not return love to them.
2. How does this devotion challenge you to change the way you treat your fellow Christians in church? Share.
3. What changes can you make to the way you treat others so that you can show Christ-like love to them? Share.
4. How does Jesus Christ’s unconditional love for you, encourage you to love others in the same way?