FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Tuesday, September 15th, 2020
Scripture – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Reflection – Love is a Commitment
It feels good when someone likes us, when they want to spend time with us, give us gifts, do us a favor, or give us a compliment. The good feeling we get is the result of their efforts, and we are wise to thank them in return.
Feelings in life come and go, to be sure. But love is not a feeling. Paul makes it clear that love is an effort. It takes effort to be patient and kind. It takes effort to avoid envy, arrogance, and rudeness. It takes effort to let someone else have their way rather than insist on our own way. It takes effort to forgive instead of being resentful.
As beautifully as these versus flow, we need not be fooled. We do well to take a moment to hear Paul’s challenge. Love is an effort. It may start with a feeling because of some good that has come our way at the hand of another, but it will fade unless we make a commitment to action. If we want our relationships to grow and to travel well, we must move beyond waiting around for that feeling again.
Can you think of the beginnings of an important relationship in your life? How did it start? How did it grow? What did the other person do to nurture it? What did you do to nurture it?
Take time today to thank God for that friend, co-worker, spouse, or family member.
Prayer:
God who created the seen and the unseen, we give you thanks for those unseen gifts; for patience, for kindness, for hope, for faith and for love. We give you thanks for these gifts which manifests themselves in the service and uplifting of others. Today Lord, I pray that you would open my eyes to the loving generosity of others, and to lead me to readily give thanks. I also pray you would give me opportunity to show love to another. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.