If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
“Suffer Strong: How to Survive Anything by Redefining Everything”, by Katherine and Jay Wolf, chronicles the life of a young stroke victim and her husband. There is one passage where Jay, Katherine’s caregiver, talks about the time he was arguing with her, but then, at the end of the day, had to help Katherine get ready for bed by putting eye drops in her eyes (as she cannot completely close her right eye because of the stroke). He needed to still “act in love” while he was fighting anger and what he calls a “negative emotional state”. What an apt description of what we may feel many times (in a day…a week?). We may just not feel like doing something…we may not necessarily be angry, but we’re not feeling positive, either. We're experiencing a negative emotional state.
Jay says we need to “act in love” even when we don’t feel like it. The acting part is what stands out…it reminds me of the suggestion to “smile even when you don’t feel like it” with the reminder that it will make you happier. Which is (mostly) true!
Remember the phrase “act in love” to help you remain loving even when you’re not feeling it. You’ll be following Christ’s example.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to show your love to others even when I feel angry, sad, or simply not loving. Remind me that by acting in love, I am showing your love to the world. Amen.
Donna Gustafson
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