What does love look like? By L. LaShawn Erby

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Taken from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Living Bible, Tyndale 1972) Scripture is typed in bold.

❤ Love is patient and kind.

It feels good to be patient and kind. It also feels quite endearing when someone is patient and kind to you when you need it. Of course, some people won’t make that easy for you, but consider them as an opportunity to ‘get a workout of your love skill muscles.’ You can do it. I believe in you. 

❤ Love is never jealous or envious.

Neither of these emotions produces good results. If you should happen to feel them, release them. Ask GOD to help you. 

GOD is the source of all good and perfect gifts, so there’s no need to be jealous of someone else and their blessings. Ask Him for what you need. Never give too much energy to those jealous and envious of you. Instead, take them as a sign that you are on the right path. Thank GOD for them and ask Him to bless them. Then, keep it moving. 

❤ Love is never boastful or proud

Neither of these will ever produce positive results when the focus is on self. You can be pleased about things that you accomplish but the danger lies in believing that you succeed independently and not by the blessing of The LORD. Feel free to ‘boast’ about God’s Provision. He likes that. When you take the credit for yourself, there’s no room for God to get the Glory He deserves.

❤ Love is never haughty, or selfish or rude.

When you ask yourself, “Is this love?”, check to see if these qualities are present. Haughty means ‘thinking so highly of yourself that you look down your nose at others believing them to be beneath you.’ In other words, it means feeling arrogantly superior or acting snobbish or rude. Love is neither. Since love is not selfish nor rude, when you see such… Run! No, seriously. Don’t run. Pray and remain prayerful. That person just may actually be a heavenly assignment. 

❤ Love does not demand its own way.

Being willing to be agreeable and flexible is a choice. The one that chooses to do so is definitely operating in love. I associate love with meekness which is said to be power under control. Go with the flow.

❤ Love is not irritable or touchy.

Since love IS patient and kind, it stands to reason that being irritable and touchy is not love. Sure, we all have challenging days from time to time, but you cannot walk in love being touchy and irritable ‘all-of- the-time’! Breathe then chill.

❤ Love does not hold grudges.

Know who does? (The enemy of our souls) That rascal hates forgiveness so much because it is a quality of God and a habit that God wants us to cultivate within. You can’t hold a grudge and forgive at the same time. Redirect the grudge energy to something positive that will help someone.

❤ Love will hardly notice when others do it wrong.

Some translations write “keep a record of wrongs” instead of stating it the way this Living Bible does. I can say that I have matured in the ‘not holding grudges’ and ‘not keeping account of wrongs’ areas of my life. 

Let’s be real though, looking at this translation, I still have some work to do. I may not say anything but I do notice when others do me wrong. If we’re honest, we are all “works in progress” prayerfully improving every day. My advice to myself and to you, my Reader, is "Let It Go." We can do it.

❤ Love is never glad about injustice.

There are so many injustices going on in the world that I’d be writing about them until Jesus returns. Who can be happy that so many people are subjected to the abuse of living in poverty, denied basic rights and economic opportunities? How can we be passive and not enraged about impoverished communities like Flint, MI and St. Joseph, LA using toxic water because they have no choice? #BlackLivesMatter

Get involved. Be a part of the solution.

❤Love rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Yes, it does. Do you know the sense of relief and pure joy when something you’ve known for a while to be true becomes evident to others who may have previously missed it?

The truth is GOD loved YOU so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, to die for your (our) mistakes. Jesus loves you so much that would love to be welcomed into your heart and life. Just ask HIM.

Spoiler Alert:  It’s a fixed fight. HE loves You. HE Is The Truth and HE’S coming back.  We must be ready. Want to know more? Email your questions to: dreamkeepers44@gmail.com

Years ago, I wrote a six part series on Love. Here is the link to Part 1 of Where is the Love? if you’d like to read more.

http://oneinabillionconsulting.blogspot.com/2010/12/where-is-love-part-1.html