God's Love

The past couple weeks, God has been dealing with me on what true LOVE really is. Now I'm not talking about "TRUE LOVE" and "PRINCE CHARMING", I'm talking about God's LOVE, but   CORINTHIANS 13 kind of LOVE. I've been working on developing this LOVE for my campers this summer. I just want to share some things that I've learned in my study of Corinthians 13. Some of these ideas are not original with me, some are from The WILDS, but some are also what I have taken and learned from this Chapter. Sooooooooooo

                                Here 

                                         We 

                                                Go! 

Love suffers long:

• Love is patient; long-tempered; long-fused; goes beyond the point of waiting
• Love doesn't draw lines: "You'll know when you've crossed the line!"
• Love by patience. I don't know what God is up to in another person's life
• Not my message, not my words, not my time; but God's message, God's words, God's time

Love is kind:

• Love is active and useful in the lives of others
• A "Passion for usefulness"
• Doing the thing that Christ would do if He were here physically
• Love says: "I think of you" with the unexpected, undeserved, and unrewarded.
• Kind words, kind tones, kind actions

Love envieth not:

• "Warm feelings against;" to boil; seethe, stew; Jealous
• Hebrews 13:5 "Be content with such things as ye have."
• James 3:13-18

Love vaunteth not itself, Love is not puffed up:

• Does not parade itself to gain applause--is not a windbag
• "My thoughts and actions are filled with me."
• You tend to brad about the one who is and who is in your first thoughts
• Be impressed with God--Who He is and what He does in your life

Love doth not behave itself unseemly:

• Doesn't present the love of God in an ugly, misshapen way
• Not loud, too soft, overbearing, argumentative, bully, crude, immodest, gossipy, making fun, porn, tease at others expense
• Careful with sensitivities of others. "I care about you."

Love seeketh not her own:

• Doesn't demand, doesn't inquire after its own things
• Phillipians 2:3-8
• Don't count things to hoard count things to give. Count--then give
• Don't be a Scrooge

Love is not easily provoked:

• Not a paroxysm (A splitting in two)
• Patient and long-suffering

Love thinketh no evil:

• Doesn't "reason out" evil, doesn't keep score. judge motives--"I know why. . ."
• Love handles the problems God;s way and moves on
• Put evil to rest permanently
• Matthew 5:23-24; 6:14-15; 18:15-18

Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, Love rejoiceth in the truth:

• To "joy together with"
• Don't get your joy over that which put Christ on the cross
• Get your joy from what God loves, not what He hates
• "Get caught" getting your joy from God's Word

Love beareth all things:

• To not make known; to conceal; to sustain; to cover, thereby protecting
• Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirreth up strife, but love covers a multitude of sin."
• Don't publish it. Don't punish it. Protect the sinner and solve the sin problem

Love believeth all things:

• "Suffers itself to be persuaded"; to put trust in
• Doesn't play up the doubts; puts the best interpretation on things
• Pulls for people, doesn't rush to judgement; doesn't keep score
• Don't quickly believe evil about someone without cause
• Invest in people so their loss is your loss; their gain is your gain
• Be a harbor of trust that people can run to, be healed, and restored

Love hopeth all things:

• "Anticipation of good."
• Doesn't give up on people--acting and talking hopelessly
• "There are no hopeless situations, only people who have grown hopeless in situations."
• Takes on problems, praying and working for a best outcome

Love endureth all things:

• "Masculine constancy under fire"; to abide under courageously
• Staying put when you feel like running or quitting
• Be a rock for Christ. (Never, never, never give up!)
• Be the rearguard

Love never faileth:

• At no time does it lose its force; never falls out
• "Love survives everything. It will not fail, even in death, but will be perfected there."