Bear, Believe, Hope and Endure
Today, a portion of our Scripture reading is 1 Corinthians 13, commonly called “The Love Chapter.” As I read through it this morning, something hit me in a way that was fresh and unique. In 13:4, love is defined within its expression; what love does and how it can be identified. As it moves on, it talks about the varying characteristics of love (patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not arrogant or rude or insistant or irritable or resentful, etc.). When I finally reached 13:7, I paused and read slower that, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Love bears all things? The dictionary defines “bearing” as remaining firm or holding under the weight. There are a lot of weighty things in our world and in our personal lives. But to uphold and stand firm in the love of God for one another, holding fast to His ways and consistantly placing ourselves under His Lordship expresses our faithfulness and devotion to Him.
Love believes all things? Love understands that with God, childlike faith is a must simply because He is God and, frankly speaking, the things He is “capable” of go far, far beyond our comprehention. In this same vein, we are called to believe what God has spoken out over us as well as over others. The Word, complete and full, is truth. In that, can’t reject what God has said about you, and who you are to Him.
Love hopes all things? We live in a world that doesn’t encourage having a hopeful disposition on the world at large. Pick up any newspaper and see if, by the end of reading it, you have a stirred hope. But love hopes. Love places its trust. Love sees with the eyes of faith that God is able. God is MORE than able. And knows that a whisper from the throneroom of God could change everything.
Love endures all things? Love is committed to seeing it through. To moving into a place of completion. Love wants to be found faithful and steady until the end.
The verse goes on to say that love never ends. I have also heard it translated, “Love never fails.” Perhaps, if we were to look at the world, our lives, our children, our situations, our churches, our ministries with love…it would look a bit different. Would we bear up under the weight and endure differently? Would we see others differently? Would we place ourselves in a position to see people the way God sees them? Would we see the potential instead of the lack? Would we endure and be faithful?
Let us be a people who bear. Who believe. Who hope. Who endure.
Who love.
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