Hello Friends,
Over the last six weeks, we have been diving into 1 Corinthians 13. We have sent a lot of time talking about love. We started with what love is, it is patience and kind. Then we talked about what it wasn’t, it isn’t rude or easily offended. With this blog, we are wrapping up this study about love by talking about the 5 things love does.
Love is not passive or lazy; in fact, it is extremely active. Love does 5 distinct things and we are going to go deep with this blog into what those 5 things are and exactly what they mean. So let’s get started!
Love Does…
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; it does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. Love isn’t rude; it is not self-seeking, it’s not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; love does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
In verses 7 and 8 we find the 5 distinct things love does. It bears, believes. hopes, endures, and never fails. Let’s break down each of these words by looking at their Greek definitions. You may already know what some of them mean, but you may be surprised by a few… we were!
Love Bears All Things
When I first read this word, “bear”, I instantly thought of someone holding something heavy. Something cumbersome and uncomfortable. However, this is not the correct translation of that word. Paul used the Greek word “stego” here. Stego means to cover, as a roof covers a house. It means to protect or to shield. It is a covering from the elements.
Let’s think about this in the context of marriage. When we choose to protect our spouse we are loving them well. How do we protect them?
- Protect them with your words
- Speak kindly to them and about them.
- Be a literal safe place
- Your spouse should be able to run to you about everything with no fear ( they can totally be themselves without you exposing their shortcomings to others)
- Prayer
- Pray with and for your spouse daily. We all have struggles let’s go to the throne with our spouses.
Love Believes All Things
This one you may think you have a good grasp on, but if you look at it at face value it almost gives the allusion that love is naive and can be tricked easily. That is not the case here at all. The Greek word Paul used here for believe is “pisteuei”. It means to put one’s faith or trust in someone or something. This is a “never give up” kind of faith. This is a faith that looks at the long game. You see what the person has the ability to become and you have faith they will get there.
In marriage, this means you see the person God is turning your spouse into. It excites you and you want to be apart of their journey. How do we believe like this?
- Remember your spouse is a child of the Most High God and should be treated as such now.
- Treat them with respect not because of how they act but for the simple fact that they are God’s child
- Show them abundant grace when they do fall short, knowing you have not arrived at your best self either.
- Speak life into them. Brag on them when they get it right.
Love Hopes All Things
We all know what hope means right? It means we want something to happen a certain way. Paul takes it a step farther with the Greek word he chose to use here. He used the word “elpidzo”. Yes, it means to want something to happen but it does not stop there. It not only wants it to happen, it EXPECTS it to happen, and is filled with anticipation to see it happen. Rather than just assuming something will fail or go wrong it flips the script and expects it to go right.
In marriage we can do this by changing our mindset.
- Look for the good.
- Focus on the positive attributes in your spouse instead of the negative
- Believe the best of your spouse
- Give them the benefit of the doubt.
- Trust they do things because they think it is for the best.
Love Endures All Things
If you look up the word endure in the dictionary it will tell you the word means to “remain or last”. The word Paul uses is “hupomeno” which means to stay or abide. It’s an attitude of a person who is under a heavy load but refuses to surrender to defeat. It means commitment. A refusal to move.
However, do not think it means to remain with no hope of change. There will be things in a marriage that need to change. It is in those seasons we endure. Endurance like love is active. Endurance says, “I do not like what is happening right now but it will not always be this way. I am committed to change what needs changing. I will not give up.”
So let’s look at how we can apply this in our relationships.
- Never give up. Never leave.
- Commit yourself to your spouse and your marriage. Enjoy the good times, and walk with endurance through the hard times.
- Endure Actively
- If there is something that needs changing in your marriage, put in the work to change it. Work with your spouse and create the marriage you both want. Endurance does not mean to stay with no hope of change.
Love NEVER Fails
This is my favorite part of Paul’s definition of love. It never fails. The word Paul uses here for fail is “pipto”. It means to fall from a high position. So with the word never in front of it, we learn love will never fall from its place. It will never disappoint or falls short.
We as people will always make mistakes. We can not and will not be perfect all the time. But we serve a God who is perfect. We serve a God who is the embodiment of love. We may fall short but He never will. Rest in the fact that His love for you and your spouse is perfect and always accessible. Rest in the fact that He is here to help you love your spouse well.
- Strive every day to be more like Jesus, give yourself some grace on the days you fall short, but just don’t give up.
- Get up every day and try again!
In Conclusion
So with all this is mind let’s put it all together and get a full picture of love.
“Love protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure; love strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation; it always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others; love never quits, never surrenders, and never give up. “
Expanded interpretive translation of 1 Corinthians found in “Sparking Gems from the Greek”
You can do this friends!
You can love your spouse well!
We are praying for you!
All of the Greek definitions came from the book, “Sparking Gems from the Greek” by Rick Renner.
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