are you loving?
"There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love." —1 Corinthians 13:13
Without love we are nothing (1 Cor 13:2), and we gain nothing (1 Cor 13:3). "The man without love has known nothing of God, for God is Love" (1 Jn 4:8). Therefore, we all like to think of ourselves as loving. Yet are we actually loving?
Signs of true love are:
- suffering patiently a long time for others (1 Cor 13:4, our transl),
- kindly bearing others' burdens (1 Cor 13:4, our transl),
- forgiving others and not counting how many times they have injured us (1 Cor 13:5),
- choosing entertainment in which we rejoice "with the truth" (1 Cor 13:6),
- loving our enemies (Mt 5:44),
- loving practically the least of our brothers and sisters (Mt 25:40), and
- sharing our faith, the greatest gift we have.
These are major signs of true love. If you find that you are loving, thank God for His grace and mercy. To God be the glory! If it seems that you are not very loving, neither ignore it nor despair. Repent! The Lord will forgive your lack of love and expect you only to try to accept His grace to grow in love. Love, and love more deeply, for God is Love (1 Jn 4:16).
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to reveal any self-deception in my life regarding love.
Promise: "Upright is the word of the Lord, and all His works are trustworthy." —Ps 33:4
Praise: Even though very busy with the task of homeschooling her large family, Mary helped move her ailing parents from out of state so they could be close by where she could minister to their daily needs.
Reference: (For information or to register for Discipleship Retreat: Our Vocation to Love, e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com or call 937-587-5464.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, February 7, 2002
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 12, 2002