"Open Arms" August 4, 2022
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is an unselfish decision to seek someone’s highest good even at your own expense. Love is self-sacrificial in its nature. How does this tie into our topic of anger? In 1 Corinthians13, we see that the focus of love is not on ourselves but on the other. In the face of offense, it relinquishes the “right” to flare up in anger and instead offers a refreshing grace.
Love, instead of taking up arms, opens its arms in hope of restoring the relationship. This is what God has done for us in Jesus. Jesus receives the full penalty of sin for a people who would not think twice about Him. He gives Himself so that we can be free, not just for freedom’s sake. But we are set free to give ourselves to others. (Galatians 5:1)
Prayer
Lord, thank you for loving me even when I was not and am not worthy. Please, take my heart and mold it to Your will. Help me love others the way you have so well loved me. Amen.