.’1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV
People can disappoint us, especially if it’s those we count on most. The truth is, no one’s perfect, apart from God. Jesus said that ‘no one is good except God alone’ (Mark 10:18 ESV). Because we turned God’s world into something imperfect, we’re holding a broken mirror up to His true love. For us as humans, it’s impossible to live up to the ‘love never fails’ part of 1 Corinthians. In all of that, we’re met with a huge challenge. How do we continue to love others when they disappoint us? We have to remember that in the middle of uncertainty and imperfection, everyone is living with an oversized need to be loved and accepted as they are. Even when someone does something less-than-perfect, they’re still calling out to be cared for and forgiven. Loving someone like that can be a big concept and we can be unsure where to start. The answer lies in that same passage in 1 Corinthians. We can learn to love the flawed people around us by living out the rest of those verses in it. ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres’ (vv. 13:4-7 NIVUK). If we can be patient and kind, our interactions will bring light. If we resist anger, letting go of wrongs, then we’ll find it easier to move on. Let’s protect and trust others, having hope and perseverance in our relationships. If we can take those steps with God’s help, we can bring more of His perfect love into this imperfect world. What Now? Choose one of those attributes in 1 Corinthians 13 to work on today (patience, kindness, not envying others, etc.). Ask God to help you with it. Proverbs 30-31, 2 Corinthians 3