Can you believe it? We have come to the end of the love articles. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed these last few months discovering what true, Godly love looks like and feels like. I have been changed for the better and I hope you have as well.
I Corinthians 13:8, simply sums up the gospel of Christ in 3 small words, only 14 letters, “Love never fails.” True Godly love will never fail us. Worldly love will fail, but true, unconditional Godly love will never fail us. The love that I Corinthians speaks about is the love God has for us and the love we are to have for those around us.
When we speak of love, most of us, immediately think of a romantic love, and that’s how I viewed love for a large part of my life. The love I just knew would happen for me would look like a Disney princess movie — every bird would sing, and all the woodland creatures would scurry about my feet as I was swept away by Prince Charming. Newsflash, true love doesn’t involve raccoons and birds. It is hard work and keeping Christ in the center of your relationship.
I grew up in church and had heard countless sermons of God’s love, but I never fully understood exactly what that meant, or to be honest, what that would look like in my life. In college, I dated someone that I was convinced I would marry. Even when he didn’t love me the way the Bible says a Godly man should love his spouse, I would convince myself that’s what love was; that’s the kind of love I deserved. I chased after his love and caused myself endless nights of tears and heartaches. True Godly love does not make you miserable. I would pray to God to make him love me the way I loved him…thankfully, God answered that prayer with no. My heart hurt. I doubted myself and if I would ever find the one to share my life here on Earth with.
God had to use this time to shape my heart. He needed me to learn what true Godly loved looked like and felt like. I had to learn to let God’s love sustain me and not keep my happiness attached to someone here on earth. God’s love would be enough for me, and I needed to know that. At the time, I didn’t know if I would survive that heartache, but I did, and God made me a better person, a better Christian for it.
Once I finally decided to completely cut ties from this person, I had a peace come over me. I decided to change my prayer from “God please let him love me” to “God please let me see people the way you see people, let me see into their hearts.” I started adding this to my prayers and almost 2 weeks later, I met my husband. He is the most Christ-like person I have ever met. He opened my eyes to what true Godly love looks like in practice.
My husband shows me Godly love every day, and this study has forced me to learn how to love myself the way God loves me. That has proven harder than I thought, but I am glad that I am on the path to true self-acceptance and knowing that God made me exactly the way he wanted to make me. That God’s plan for my life will be one to prosper me and guide me if I am walking in His ways. I hope you have enjoyed studying I Corinthians with me as much as I have. I am looking forward to starting our next study for the rest of this year.
This week’s recipe is perfect for the cool fall weather right around the corner. It is a crowd pleaser, is perfect for the crock pot, and is sure to be a hit with your family. As always, feel free to swap out any veggies or proteins to make this recipe work for your family. I hope you enjoy this soup as much as my family does!
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:4-8a; 13
April 19, 2024
