Not only do most of us have a difficult time understanding and grappling with God's love - agape' - but that means we struggle with knowing God too, because "God is love." What does that mean? How is God love? What does that tell us about him?
In all my years of studying and preaching on 1 Corinthians 13, I discovered something in studying it last week that thrills me to my soul, but also has me thinking, "Why didn't you think of that a long time ago?" Maybe I did, and I forgot. Maybe it hasn't been as important to me in the past as it is at this place in my life. Here's the point. 1 Corinthians 13 is the love chapter (though 1 John 4 is too), but the description of love given by Paul in verses 4-8 is the most detailed and applicable account in the Bible. Isn't a description of love a description of God?
What does it say to you to read that passage like this?
God is patient, God is kind, God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.
Wow! If that doesn't help you know a little more about God nothing will. Maybe we should quit calling it The Great Love Chapter and start calling it The Great God Chapter.
Now go back and put you name in each spot where God is mentioned. That's called god-li-ness!
2 comments:
Amen, Mike! What a great way to get a handle on the character of God. Boy do I need to be more god-ly! Thanks, bro!
What a fantastic way to read that chapter!! I have GOT to have at least an OUNCE of your creativity, right? I love learning to read Scripture in a whole new way, because it helps us learn just a snippet more about our HUGE God.
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