If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. O God, I so easily speak the truth and the facts without love.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. God, I seek knowledge for knowledge’s sake, yet there is no love there.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. I have not given all I possess or surrendered my body, what have I to give?
Love is patient – O God, I am not.
Love is kind – kindness is not in me.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. But God I do envy, I envy those with money, I envy those with physical prowess, I envy those who have what I lack. And I am proud.
It is not rude
It is not self-seeking – but I want it my way
It is not easily angered – yet I am angry
It keeps no record of wrongs – yet I so often count the wrongs done to me
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth – still the forbidden seems so sweet
It always protects – I have not protected
Always trusts – I do not trust
Always hopes – Do I dare hope?
Always perseveres – how can I persevere?
Love never fails – yet I fail continually
Father, only You can fulfill the definition of love. And You love me… that is beyond reason, beyond knowledge, beyond hope. And You give it to me, You enable me to return Your love, to love others. No, not enable, You actually love through me. And because You are Jehovah God, I can trust and hope and persevere in You. And You will protect me. You will speak love into my knowledge and my words, You will breath love into my body and my actions, You will draw expressions of love into my attitudes and my desires. Please Lord, show Your Love in me!
Rebecca A Givens
2 comments:
If it is okay with you, I want to copy this in my journal. This means so much! It is how I have felt this past month, so FAR from understanding and feeling love. If neither or those are the same then surely I cannot love in return!?
Thank you again. Hope to chat with you soon,
sunshine
I have been meditating on this passage in my prayer time... I just started writing what I was feeling. But you do not have to feel love to love in return. You have to believe that God loves you, which is not the same thing as "feeling" it. This passage has nothing to do with others loving me, it's about how I act toward others, because God loves me.
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