The Wednesday Word 8.09.2023

1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

 

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

 

My former roommate read these few lines at my wedding, like at so many other ceremonies we have all attended. They serve as a guide and a reminder of how people should be treating each other. They comprise a beautiful philosophy that would certainly make the world a much better place if we treated others as Paul describes. That goes double for people who find themselves in a relationship. Four little verses shouldn’t be that hard to carry out. That is until you try it. 

 

More than one human under the same roof is not easy. It takes effort: genuine, honest, constant effort. Falling in love is the easy part. Maintaining a loving relationship is something else. My husband says the willingness to compromise is crucial. I agree that compromise is fundamental to my belief that the secret is putting the well-being of your partner before your own. If both of you are committed to the other’s welfare then you can both rest assured that you have safe harbor. Consideration for each other must underlie your choices. It is still so very easy to mess up! After all, humans are involved and we are prone to err. That’s when it would be a good idea to review this passage. “Love never gives up, never loses faith…” While we’re at it, we should especially bear in mind the part of the prayer Jesus taught us that says “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us”…something to pray about.

 

Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H. 

                                                                                                photo by Sandy Millar

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