Christianity Oasis Forum

[saint701]

Hello All,


Blessings!

A platitude is an over used worn out group of boring words such as "plain as the nose on your face," "time heals all wounds," "when the going gets tough, the tough get going," "a penny saved is a penny earned," "home is where the heart is," "that dog won't hunt," "hang in there," and "the pain you are feeling now will not last forever." Platitudes tend to be used when comforting or encouraging someone, but often they do just the opposite. For example, "love never fails," seldom comforts someone that has been deeply wounded emotionally and is feeling grief, pain, and agony because of it.

I don't know about you all, but the platitude, "love never fails," has often left me perplexed and confused simply because I was ignorant of how to apply it in my life in such a way that it became both meaningful and effective. After all, if the divorce we didn't want just became final, and we know we have loved that person deeply, still love that person deeply, and have constantly demonstrated our love for that person in our actions towards him or her, "love never fails," falls flat on its face before us. We can't understand how such a statement can be made unless the results of our love for another never fails to keep that person with us in our love.

I don't know about you all, but when love has failed me, all I could do was shrug my shoulders and say. "I don't get it."

Notice the "I" in the phrase, "I don't get it." The problem is not with love failing, the problem is with me in that I lack understanding of how the love that never fails works. I don't get it because I do not understand. Let's take a look at the qualities inherent in the love that never fails. Here is what the Apostle Paul said to us about it.

1Cor.13

[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
[2] 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, and have not love, I am nothing.
[3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
[4] Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
[8] Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
[13] And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

If we substitute charity where love is used above it tends to convey the true meaning of the love that never fails more than the word love itself. To be charitable means to give something to someone without expecting anything in return whether they deserve it or not. In order to unleash the great power that exists in the love that never fails we must not allow ourselves to be offended by someone's perceived malice towards us.

Case in point: Let's say there is a secretary where we work that is inconsistent in mannerisms towards others. One day she is happy to be polite and kind..., greeting us with a cheerful good morning and wishing us a good day upon our departure. The next day, however, she is rude, sullen, impolite, and seems to hold us in contempt. We know we do not deserve such treatment and her behavior towards us aggravates us to the point where we would like to give her a piece of our mind. After all, we know we would be justified in doing so.

We leave her and go to our office getting madder by the second as we walk away. All kinds of thoughts bombard our mind justifying our increasing anger. The thoughts keep coming until we have become enraged and determine to walk back to the secretary's office and let her have it once and for all...after all, we feel justified in doing so...such is a natural human response...enough is enough...

BUT SUCH IS NOT HOW THE LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS WORKS.

The love that never fails takes no offense no matter how many days of the year or years this person has been rude to us. The love that never fails says. "Ok, I accept the secretary's ways irregardless of her intent and I am going to love her no matter what." So...instead of walking to our office fuming, we walk to our office happy and content, even joyful over the fact we love that person, feel love for that person, and give love to that person. We simply refuse to judge her behavior and love her whether she deserves it or not. Such is God's love toward us, and it never fails. It is charitable.

Our love that never fails may not ever change the person we are loving unconditionally, but it does change us in how we relate to lovelessness and how we feel inside when we give those around us charity...grace that is...that has been given to us. We truly become happy on the inside when we give God's love to another. The power of God's love operating on the inside of us is unleashed when we give God's love to another. The power of God's love given out to another may never change the other person, but it never fails us. Giving it to another makes us happy and frees us from all negative emotions that might stay with us for days or weeks or years otherwise.

LOVE NEVER FAILS US...

...when we rise above a natural response to a perceived evil and give the divine one of charity we produce the fruit of happiness within ourselves, and in that respect, love never fails us. Our love then...suffers long...is kind...


Blessings!

Love to you all very, very much!
Saint701.