Thursday, April 2, 2009

Love Is...

One of my favorite passages in the Bible (and one of my life sayings) is found in I Corinthians 13:4-8. Yes, you guessed it, it's the love passage. It says:

"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 record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

This has been plastered to a part of my computer monitor at work for years now, and everytime I see I'm reminded that I'm called to love - and that love means sacrifice in a lot of ways. It also means putting your heart on the line - risking to get hurt in the process or finding the joy of having your love returned. However, my saying is that in any friendship or relationship - better to have loved, than to never love at all. So much is learned through loving someone - a parent, a friend, or a significant other. Growth and wisdom is gained through this process as there will always be ups and downs in everything - but love is what gets you through.

For the first time I decided that it was time that I looked up the definition of each of the important words in this passage of Scripture -and I was amazed and encouraged by what I found:

Patience = quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence
Synonyms of Patience: submissiveness, sufferance, endurance, persistent courage in trying circumstances.

Kind- generosity, charity, compassion, tenderness

Trust – reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person; confidence, responsibility; charge.

Hope-the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best, to believe, desire, or trust

Perseverance- steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
Synonyms: steadfast, tenacity, persistence

How much more do the words described in I Corinthians shine through? It just goes to show that love is not easy, but it's a blessing to those who always work on mastering it. I was highly encouraged by the synonym of Perseverance.... Tenacious.

I've had the nickname Tenacious since High School, and I've always believed it to be one of my character traits. I was so amazed when I read it in the context of Perseverance - so good!

Tenacious (my nickname) - holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold, holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough, persistent.

What a great reminder to me, that even in the trials of life, if I hold fast to God and persist on His strength, wisdom, understanding, and help - I can do anything.



Love is....



Tenacious :-)

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