1 Corinthians 13

Throughout my life, I've read many love stories. (The "star crossed" lovers of Romeo and Juliet.) I've seen many chick flicks. (The Notebook, P.S. I love you.) And I'm pretty sure I've read some gushy love poems here and there, as well. But lately, God has shown me that none of these love stories can fathom to what Our Substitute (Jesus) did for every single one of us. It's truly indescribable love that none of us will ever, ever be able to understand 100%, but it's such an honor to say that we know a part of this remarkable love, isn't it?

After reading a book titled Crazy Love (incredible read btw!), I was deeply convicted of not truly understanding the main values and points of love. Francis Chan, the author, brings up the most widely known love chapter of the Bible (1 Corinthians 13) to portray to his readers how we aren't truly loving. On how this world is full of hate. To show the perfection of Jesus, and the imperfection of mankind. And truly, at least through my eyes, he did a tremendous job of making me feel like crap. Which is a good thing for all of us to feel like time and again.

But in the book Crazy Love, Chan makes all of his readers put down his book and go to Scripture and read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7....

4)Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, 5)It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6)Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7)It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


He then challenges his readers to do an exercise with these verses, taking wherever it says Love and replacing it with your name. (So for me "Greg is patient... etc.) Do it!


Convicting and farely powerful, huh? As Chan puts it, don't you feel like a liar? If we are meant to represent what love is on His earth to each other and to Him, do we think we are failing to love people the way He truly wants us to love? I know for a fact that I am not all the time patient and kind. I know for a fact that I am sometimes easily angered, self-seeking, and boastful. And I know for a fact that I don't always trust, I don't always hope, and I don't always persevere. To me, this shows the remarkable and indescribable actions of Jesus. Because the word became flesh, Jesus was a perfect human representation of 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Jesus is patient and kind. Jesus does not envy or boast; Jesus is not arrogant or rude....

You see why this is so convicting? Following Christ isn't something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. It is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we and are. He must be in the center of our circle of life, or else our circle of life turns into a circle of death.

We all fall short of God's love, but the only way to get anywhere close to the love that the Bible mentions is through Jesus...

This is the only way we can truly love. I hope you understand why none of the other love stories is any match to the story of Jesus and 1 Corinthians 13.

Much Love,

Greg