Love Always Protects

Post date: Nov 30, 2017 8:00:45 PM

Heart torn open. Bleeding inside. Afraid. Vulnerable.

Okay...so, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but truthfully, these all could describe what I often feel when I face the shortcomings and wrongs of those I love, especially when I feel that those wrongs have been committed against me. What often follows is either an intense desire to withdraw and nurse my wounds or lash out and expose the individual or individuals that's fallen short. Pretty heavy stuff, right? It’s 100% real. And, most recently I’ve realized that it’s a 100% problem.

....but love covers all wrong (Proverbs 10:12b).

One of the themes that I find being reinforced for me as we walk through 1 Corinthians 13 is the need to personalize the experience and the expression of God’s love. Sure, as believers we can know in our rational, cognitive minds that love always protects, but the truth is, when we are in the midst of a situation where we have been deeply hurt or wounded, rational thinking is often the furthest thing from our minds. Usually, the most prominent things before us during those moments of pain is how much we hurt, who made us hurt, how we can prevent that hurt from happening again, and in many instances, how to make sure that person pays for the hurt that we feel.

...continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

Yet, in His Word and by His Spirit, God speaks of a love that covers wrong. A love that does not demand recompense or payment for the sins or wrongs committed. A love that withstands the difficulty of seeing the faults, imperfections and shortcomings of others yet persists in its mission. This love is His love, and is only able to be expressed truly from a place of personal experience. We can certainly profess to love others and pardon offenses and sins, but at times this can be borne from a place of pride and haughtiness. I’ve found myself here many times. I think to myself, “Well, I’ll extend grace to him/her since they can’t be as perfect as me.” This is not love, but pride. I know we’ve said it more often than not in this series, but it bears repeating. The only way we can truly love others in the way God compels us to is to experience His love for us.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you (John 15:12).

It’s knowing how deeply, truly and completely God has known all our imperfections and shortcomings; knowing the ways we’ve sinned against him and grieved his heart and him relentlessly pursuing us at all costs; to love us and be in relationship with us--it is this experience and knowledge that will empower us to show the same love for those around us. It’s being tremendously aware of His extravagant grace and allowing that to fill up the empty, broken and wounded places of our hearts. It’s from this place of abundance that we will be able to love others, especially when we think they don’t deserve it. The truth is that often they don’t...but then, neither do we. Let’s remember that as we go through this month. Let’s continue to allow God’s love to invade our hearts and our lives so that we may live and love like Him.