Last week, we tried to define love as we know it. We looked at love from an emotional point of view. We experienced the love that bride and groom have for each other on this momentous occasion of marriage. We then tried to bring that love forward in every facet of our own lives.
How did that go for you?
For me, not so good. How can I possibly experience the love of husband and wife, the love of child and mother or even the love of a best friend with someone like the driver that cut me off on the freeway and almost killed all of us!
1 Corinthians 13 has nothing at all to say about that, right?
It seems that the definition that I need most isn't a feeling at all. The verses don't talk about my heart and emotions. They don't describe weak knees and swooning over that person on the other side of the room. They speak mainly of choice.
What?
Maybe we give to the poor, but in what spirit do we do this? If we are looking for worldly recognition, we gain nothing.
Maybe we have the ability to counsel others, but while doing so, we judge and admonish in self-righteous indignation. We are certainly nothing.
We love our families, but that person on the freeway? What does love have to do with him?
Choice.
We choose to love that driver. We choose to consider that perhaps he's on his way to see his child - she was hurt on the playground and is in the hospital. We choose to consider that he's completely distracted because he just got fired and will probably lose his house.
Then again, we might even choose to think he's a jerk. But, in this spirit of Christ-like love, we ask God to work in his life. Forgiveness and prayer for the poor behavior of others is love. And we choose those actions - they don't just happen.
As I look to make this change to choice, I'm also going to choose to pray for help and guidance. Jesus showed us how to live.
I will pray. I will be aware. I will listen. I will choose wisely.
Then, I'll try again . .
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