Unfailing Love

"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 13:4-8)

We often hear this passage of scripture recited at marriage ceremonies, but how often do we follow through? Love is an exciting thing, but at times can feel scary. In growing close to another person, we have to learn to be vulnerable and transparent. Love requires sacrifice. Sometimes that sacrifice includes biting our toungue, laying down our pride and selfish ways, seeking forgiveness and practicing forgiveness, etc. We live in a world that has perverted the concept of love and what it means to truly be loved and cared for. Love is not a one night stand. Love is not physical and emotional abuse. Love is not control and manipulation.

25th birthday with bae!

As humans, who are terribly flawed, our love often fails one another. We dissapoint each other and let one another down. Although many of us have a genuine desire to love others and be loved, we will never love others perfectly. If you are reading this and you know me, you know that I literally love my friends. They are some of the closest people to me and I would do just about anything for them. I am loyal to them and there for them through the good and the bad. I am gnerous and typically kind, and so are they. We laugh together, pray together, cry together and share some of our most deep intimate secrets. Sounds pretty good, huh? But there are still times where they dissapoint me and I dissapoint them. They cannot love me perfectly and I cannot love them perfectly. At times, we get irritable with one another. Recently, I had a conversation with a couple of close friends about how none of us will be a perfect friend to one another, but we are committed to these friendships and committed to working through difficult times that come up. And trust me, they will come.

My Soul Sisters

Psalm 33:22

"Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,

for our hope is in you alone"

Our parents cannot love us perfectly. Our friends cannot love us perfectly. Our boyfriend or girlfriend cannot love us perfectly. Our spouses cannot love us perfectly. This does not excuse hurtful or painful times in our lives when we feel disapointed by people. It is okay to feel that hurt and it is okay to communicate how we feel and work through those difficult times. This simply is just a reminder that people will fail and dissapoint us.  I am learning that my hope must be in Christ alone, no matter how much I love the people in my life. If I place my hope in them and then they fail me, then what? Does my whole world crumble? No, I am learning to make allowance for the faults of others in my life. To expect them to love me perfectly is expecting them to play the role of God in my life. My friends are amazing friends, but they do make terrible gods. 

Tasha's Mexican Fiesta (Coba Ruins)

Colossians 3:13

 "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

The only perfect friend any of us could ever have with a love that will never, ever fail us is that of Jesus. His love is perfect and casts out all fear. His love is unfailing. He is always patient with us, even when we are not patient with ourselves and others. He is always kind to us, even when we aren't kind to ourselves and others. He never gives up on us, even when we give up on ourselves and others. 

Xo,
Beth