Journal Entry ~ 05/17/18

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind. I love the other translations of scripture that replace patient with long-suffering because that makes the connotation of patient more visual for me. Love is long-suffering. Love accepts that there may be some time devoted to waiting through the hard stuff. We all have those relationships in our lives where we struggle to love well because the relationship is difficult to navigate. But we never stop loving as a response - that’s never an option if we are loving as God loves us. The love we have for that person is maintained through the struggle, love always comes out on the other side of the challenge. 

It’s important to note when thinking on loving through our difficult relationships that love and truth exist in harmony.  In other words, love never denies the truth. Love does not sit passive where there is wickedness, it does not tolerate things that are wrong in the eyes of God to simply keep the peace. Real, biblical love never compromises what God says is true, it never says, “that’s okay” when it’s not. Love doesn’t sit idle when it is witness to wrong things happening in someone’s life. In other words, love steps into difficult situations to help another recognize the sin in their lives. Love is not passive. It does not avoid difficult situations because they are a hassle or they may disturb the peace. If we are truly committed to the kind of love that God commands, then we understand that God uses others in our lives to refine us, so we must be comfortable with biblical confrontation, both giving and receiving. We have to be willing to step into some difficult moments with one another, we have to be willing to go through some tense and difficult moments to bring His truth to light. 

This isn’t the same thing as being judgmental or sensitive when people hurt us. Long-suffering also means we let a lot of stuff roll off our backs. But it does mean that we bring truth into people’s lives when we see them living their lives in opposition to the way God calls us. Sitting passive is not love, being silent is not love - it may be easier at times, but it is definitely not love. Love is being willing to endure hardships and sacrifice a false sense of peace to being our loved ones into a right relationship with Christ. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Update ~ 09/27/17

Image
Today was a challenging day.  I met with the oncologist to discuss chemo as part of my treatment plan.  The oncologist explained there were 3 additional invasions discovered during surgery, so there were actually 4 isolated invasions in the breast tissue.  To review - my diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  All 4 of the invasions are HER2+ (aggressive) and hormone negative (recurrent).  My oncologist walked us through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCM) guidelines for treatment of this type of aggressive, recurrent cancer - chemo and radiation. The good news is God had already moved the mountain in my heart opposing chemo, and rested me in a place of acceptance.  While my initial prayers focused on not having to have chemo as part of my treatment, after hearing I had multiple invasions, He moved me to a place of understanding that chemo is a necessary part of my treatment.  If there were 4 invasions in the sample they took, there co
Read more

My Journey Begins...

I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer.     On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th.  They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery.  It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all.  But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy.  Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation.  Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Read more

Grace in Marriage

When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts.  https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.
Read more