Living the Love

Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.  1 Corinthians 13:5

Moving on with verse 5, we are at the phrase, love "does not get upset with others."  OK, everyone who loves others so much that they do not get upset with them, despite their faults, bad behaviors, etc., raise your hand.  Do you hear the crickets in the room?  Kind of empty, huh?  Everyone gets upset with others.  So then how can this be a characteristic of love?

The New International Version calls it not being "easily angered."  I like that.  We get upset with people, and sometimes rightly so.  But are we touchy?  Are we irritable?  Let me ask you this:  Are you always offended by something?  Is there consistently something under your skin?

Because we are not supposed to live that way.  We are definitely not supposed to love that way!  You know, all we really need to do to define love is to look at the greatest commandments:  Love God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind.  And love your neighbor as yourself. 

Let's face it, we don't want to be loved that way.  We don't want to be treated like pests.  Isn't that how we treat others when we are easily angered?  Whether it's your kids, your family, your coworkers, or people you go to church with - or the lady in line with you at Walmart - everyone wants to be treated with dignity and respect.

If you are struggling with this, if you find yourself easily angered, if your life is defined by the people you have problems with,  you need to take a good, hard, long look at yourself.  It's time to make a change.  In YOU.  In your love, in you allowing God's love to flow through you. 

Let God love you, so you can live the love all around you.