If I get a perfect SAT score and become a National Merit Scholar finalist, but have not love, I’m nothing more than a robotic student, producing and possessing useless facts. If I become a world-renowned concert pianist and can move people to tears with my music, and if I win every speech and debate event in the NCFCA, but have not love, I am nothing. If I lead soul-stirring worship for church groups every week, have a personal quiet time for thirty minutes every night, and go on overseas mission trips, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient when my mom’s hearing loss means I have to repeat something three times, when I have to do my sibling’s chores, and when I have to help my dad with a construction project. Love is kind to friends who spill food in my car or on my clothes, and to my sister who leaves my bathroom a mess. Love is kind to my parents by helping them with the baby when I’d rather read, cooking to give them a break, and cleaning dishes or rooms even when I didn’t make the mess. Love does not envy the family member who can spend as much money as she wants, the vacations my friends get to take to exotic countries, or the girls who are in romantic relationships, neither does it possess any jealousy at all when my siblings get to go to special events. Love does not boast or brag in any way about my test scores, my musical achievements, my possessions, my vacations, the guys I spend time with, the friends I’ve made, the cool places I’ve been, or my spiritual life. Love is not proud- it never exalts myself above other people. It never compares myself with others, patting myself on the back for how “spiritual” I am for not falling into a certain sin. Love is humbling myself next to God’s glory. Love remembers that I am just as sinful as everyone else and that I am only saved by God’s grace. Love remembers that no amount of praying, Bible reading, worship playing, or date-abstaining makes me any more holy or righteous than anyone else. Love does not dishonor others by speaking poorly about my parents to my friends, or joking with my siblings about how annoying a certain friend is, or trash talking my siblings to my friends to get a laugh. Love honors every human being that God has created by speaking value and affirmation into their life at every opportunity. Love is not self-seeking in serving my plate first, getting my own way in an argument, or taking the last dessert. It puts others needs above my own and desires their happiness, always seeking to give, rather than get. It serves others even when I would rather use that time for myself. Love is not easily angered when siblings say mean things, when parents make unfair judgements, or when friends are careless. Love means not snapping or letting my temper rise up when my brother tears my room apart again or my sister takes all the towels out of my bathroom. Love chooses to not let those things anger me. It’s not worth it. Love keeps no record of wrongs. When I’m in an argument, love does NOT bring up a single other wrong thing that person has done to me. Love does not rehash the past, trying to prove how the majority of the time I’ve been in the right. Love does not keep a burning, resenting anger towards a friend weeks or months after they did or said something wrong. Love harbors no grudges, and keeps no ill feelings. Love’s mercies are new every morning. Love does not delight in evil, whether it’s revenge on someone who I feel deserves it or the satisfaction of a sibling taking a punishment that should be my own. Love rejoices in the truth, taking actual, tangible joy when truth is revealed and acted upon, even if that means my sins or secrets are revealed or my reputation is put at risk. Love always protects my siblings from the unkind teasing of others, always trusts that God is good and is working out all things for the good of those who love him, that my parents know and want what’s best for me, that my siblings are telling the truth, and that my friends will fulfill the responsibilities I entrust to them, always hopes for God’s will to be done, for his plan to be accomplished, for relationships with my sisters to grow stronger, and for our family to seek God and declare his name together, and always perseveres in its never-ending determination to do good and show kindness to those around me, even when they don’t deserve it. Love never fails. Now, great SAT scores will be useless once I get into college. Music certificates and trophies collect dust in a box in my laundry room. No one remembers who placed where in what event after the awards ceremony at any given speech and debate tournament. But three important, lasting things do remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. And the greatest of those? Yep, you guessed it. Love.
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AuthorHey, I'm Caelan! I'm a sophomore at Baylor University and love life and the world God has created for us to explore through learning, the arts, and the outdoors. But most of all, I seek to know HIM. Psalm 34:5 says that those who look to God are radiant. I desire to shine the radiance and glory of the Father, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Soli Deo Gloria Archives
November 2019
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