LOVE. NEVER. FAILS.

I like Love. I like the feeling of it, the expression of it, the way it ministers to me just by saying the word...

“Love.”

The idea alone has a calming effect on me, but that was not always the case. There were seasons in my life where the mere thought of Love brought back memories of pain, loss, despair. I had to grow into understanding Love, and I still have a lot to learn. I think we all do. If we choose to live like Christ, we have to learn to see Love as He does…. sincere, pure, sacrificial, unconditional. The biblical term is agápe.

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3 (New International Version)

Because of its tone and language, many scholars believe the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi to be the most eloquent and emotional of all his writings.

He made it clear.

I love you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:7-8 (NIV)

Wow. Whether in chains, or preaching the gospel – I love you.

High or low,

feast or famine,

up or down

– I love you.

Life will change, but Love never fails.

That is why I like Love. It’s flexible. Agape Love expands and stretches. It is the glue holding together a marriage of 48 years, the patience of a mother waiting for her son the soldier to return. It flexes when the kids go off to college and out of our grasp. It exposes itself when circumstances make us shift from relative to caregiver. It fills the void left by time and distance and people.

Yes. I know Love can hurt, but that doesn’t mean it failed because Love is also a seed. Even in the darkness of life, it's still at work cracking through hard shells and exploring new territory.

Pure love breaks new ground and abounds.