Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-17 (NIV) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.”

Devotion: What would the world look like if we could all show love? Not the kind of love found on MTV. Not the kind of love that found in a romance novel. But patient, selfless, humbled, and kind-hearted love. What works could be accomplished if we all showed love, instead of immediately judging? With social media and cell phones saturating every aspect of society, we are presented with a multitude of opportunities to show others what it looks like to truly show love.

How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I love football!” If you are from or in Texas, the answer to that is surely more than you can count. Now, think back to the times you’ve heard someone say something like, “I love football!” How many of those statements were said by someone who actually played football, or helped other to play football, or truly wanted to get better at playing football, or didn’t misplace their calm when their team wasn’t as good as they wanted?

I think the word love is too commonplace. Do we really mean the things we say? The word love is used so much that it seems to have meaning at both ends of the spectrum. I know I’ve heard some toddlers say they love chicken nuggets. But, that’s not what it means to really love. I also see movies or TV shows where people are afraid to say “I love you.” It isn’t a huge commitment and should be taboo to show love.

Paul tells us that love is patient, self-sacrificing, modest and kind-hearted. If we truly showed love towards someone the way that Paul describes, wouldn’t we live enormously different? We should live our lives in a way that, at the very least, attempts to replicate this kind of love. It is important to do this for everyone we encounter, not just our family and our friends. We should show this kind of love to complete strangers. We should show this kind of love to people who we don’t agree with. We should show this kind of love to the people who come from different faith backgrounds. We should always strive to be patient with each other. We should demonstrate kindness in every interaction that we have. We should always do anything within our abilities to make sure other’s needs are our first priority. We should make sure that we do not pursue attention for ourselves in these actions, but for Jesus.

Imagine what life would be like if everyone did that? Imagine the kinds of conversations we could have, the kinds of progress that could be made. The amount of arguments, protest and judgment would drop at astonishing rates. Imagine how many people would find faith if we showed them that kind of love.

Prayer: Awesome God, help us to remember these words from Paul’s letter. Help us to remember that these words can still be useful today. Help us endeavor to be a living example of Love so that we may glorify you. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.