The Daily Devotional
Friday, February 14, 2025
Love That Never Fails
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Introduction
Valentine's Day is a time when we celebrate love—romantic love, familial love, and the love we share with friends. But as Christians, we know that love is more than a feeling or a day of celebration. True love is grounded in God's love for us, which is perfect and unending. This passage from 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us of the qualities of God's love and calls us to reflect those same qualities in our relationships with others.
Reflection
On Valentine’s Day, many people exchange gifts, cards, and flowers, symbolizing love. But real love goes beyond these symbols. The Apostle Paul gives us a powerful description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, emphasizing patience, kindness, humility, and endurance. This kind of love is not a temporary emotion or a fleeting feeling—it is a constant, unshakable force that reflects God's heart for us.
I once heard a story of a young couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. As they looked back on their life together, they shared that the secret to their enduring love was not found in grand gestures but in the small, everyday acts of patience, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Over the years, they had learned to put each other’s needs before their own, and in doing so, they had built a lasting, true love that had withstood every challenge.
In the same way, God's love for us is not just an emotion He expresses on special occasions; it is a deep, sacrificial commitment that never fails. When we are called to love others, we are called to love them with the same selfless, enduring love that Christ has for us.
Application
This Valentine’s Day, let us reflect on the love that God shows us daily. Consider the relationships in your life—your spouse, your children, your friends, and your neighbors. Are you showing love that is patient, kind, humble, and forgiving? Is your love one that endures through difficulties? Let this passage be a guide as you love others, not just on a special day, but in every moment.
Conclusion
As Christians, we are called to love with the love of Christ—love that is deep, sacrificial, and unconditional. On this Valentine’s Day, let us renew our commitment to love others with the love that never ends. May our relationships be a reflection of the love God has poured out for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your perfect love that never fails. On this Valentine’s Day, help us to love others with the same patience, kindness, and sacrifice that You show us. May our love be a testimony to Your grace and truth in this world. Guide us in our relationships, that we may honor You in all that we do. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV)© 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment