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A Morning View From the Wood Stove

In our world there is a constant battle of selfishness going on. It is everywhere. Self seeking, self promoting and self fulfillment. Politics, religion, families and personal life are not exempt from this selfishness. How about how we lead? What are the motives? Do we make decisions built around selfish motives? Are friendships built around selfish gain or selfless sacrifice? Is your family divided over selfishness?
Love is a word used often in our culture. Poetry is written all about love. The topic of love dominates Classical, Pop, Rock and Roll, Country and all music. Love is popular, yet is love really understood? Love is a beautiful emotion, you know, I wouldn't say emotion. Love is a beautiful characteristic of who we are created to be. Perhaps love is the core of who we are and God built the rest of our humanness around the Soul Spirit of such love.
Growing up I was surrounded by the word love. I was taught God is love. In the front of the church I attended, above the baptistry, the words "Love Never Fails" were written on the wall. We seek love in all we do. The Greek language explains love so much better than the English language does. There are 6 words to describe love. Please take time to research and understand them. The point as I write is it becomes so easy to live into simple shallow love and use words for selfish gain. It also becomes so easy to avoid and reject love because of the risk involved. In our creation, redemption and search for perfection we should be able to be the full creation of love we are intended to become. Love for selfish gain is shallow and deeply harmful. Selfless love is who we are created to be.
John Wesley believed we could become perfect in love in this life. If Jesus invites us to seek perfection, perfect love is possible. He didn't mean we would be free from mistakes, temptation or failure. Love is risky and can deeply hurt and yet there is nothing greater than authentic deep love for another.
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” - 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NLT
Peace,
PB

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