Season's greetings and happy holiday! Indeed this is a time to receive God's love and release God's love! This is a time for love in action! Amen!
Romans 5:5 says, 'Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.'
So, this love of God, Jesus, came down! And He is love! And when this love is being poured out on you, you have every reason to hope! You know why? Because His love for you never fails, no matter what happens in this world or how 'hopeless' this world may be!
When His love is being poured out on you (and it's not just a trickle), not only you receive God's love, but you also release God's love to people around you! So, where there's God's love, there will be hope!
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV), apostle Paul wrote, 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.' What Paul meant here was love is greater than all these mentioned here.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NKJV), Paul wrote further, 'Love suffers long and is kind, love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...'
And in 1 Corinthians 13:10 (NKJV), Paul also wrote, 'But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.' What is the 'perfect' here? God's perfect love! His love is prefect! It means when you receive God's perfect love in your life, whatever 'imperfection' in your life will just be a shadow, because you are so full of God's perfect love in your life! And this love never fails! That's why when you have this love, you have every reason to hope in your life!
In other words, God's perfect love is the solution to any problem, challenges, or situation in your life in this world!
So, as you gather with your family and friends wherever you are, as you encourage one another with God's love, as you build and edify one another with God's love, as you worship God together, as you fellowship together, and even have foods and drinks together, let God's love be at the center of all your gatherings, that God's love be with you and fill you to the overflow!
As you've read just now in 1 Corinthians 13:4, notice that love's foremost fruits are patience and kindness. These are the first two characters in the list - 'patience or longsuffering towards one another', and 'kindness towards one another'!
In Colossians 1:11-14 (NKJV), Paul wrote, '...strengthened with all might according to His glorious power for all patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.'
Let's look at the words 'patience' and 'longsuffering' here.
The word 'patience' here is 'hupomone' in Greek. It can mean 'cheerful (hopeful) endurance, constancy, patient continuance', and it comes from the word 'hupomeno' meaning 'to remain, to bear trials, to have fortitude, to persevere, to abide, or to endure (in spite of your circumstances around you).'
There's a very thin line to draw between 'patience' and 'longsuffering', and that's why some teachers group these two as one same character.
The word 'longsuffering' here is 'makrothumia' in Greek. It can mean 'longanimity (not short-tempered), forbearance, fortitude, with long (enduring) temper, long spirited, long patience, patiently endure.'
In short, if 'patience' is 'patience' per say, then 'longsuffering' is 'long patience or enduring patience'. That's basically the difference, a very slight difference actually.
You see, when you have God's love filling your life, whatever provocation against you or whatever that people try to 'trigger' you to react negatively, you will not buy that. Instead, you will respond with love, you will respond with patience and longsuffering, and you will respond with kindness. You will not render evil with evil, but you will return evil with good. And that's what happens when you are so full of God's love!
So, keep receiving God's love and keep releasing God's love! You can rely on His wisdom and the promptings (or the leading) of the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you on how you can show His love to others. Just look out around you, let His love flow out of you, and you can be sure He will continue to fill you and overflow you with His love (and even His provision) super abundantly. Amen!
Prayer:
"O Lord God, we thank You for Your perfect love that never fails. We want to remember Your perfect love that never fails in our lives. We want to remember all that You have done for us on the cross some 2000 years ago. We want to continue to be the light that shine on others. As we receive more of Your love and Your light, this love will flow out to many around us, and this light will shine forth even in the darkest of places in this world. In the name of Jesus. Amen!"
