"Love never fails." This is part of one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. Even non-Christians are familiar with it, for it's often quoted at weddings. "Love is patient, love is kind..." and so on, until the beginning of verse 8 - "Love never fails," where the quotation usually ends. I'm sure you've all heard it many times.
Last week, in one of my Bible study lessons, I read this verse. But the thoughts raised took a surprisingly different direction from what I've always thought this verse meant. Coming on the heels of identifying adjectives like "patient" and "kind," I just assumed that "never failing" was something a person who loves doesn't do. She never fails to show love; she never quits. And I still think this is a big part of this verse's meaning.
But what if we read it in a different way? What if what the author really meant is that the action of love - showing patience, kindness, humility, forgiveness, etc. - never fails to bring about a positive result? Love never fails. It's like saying, "His shot never misses" or "The experiment was successful in 100% of the trials." The way of love is foolproof.
For me, this concept is revolutionary. It takes 1 Cor. 13:8 and reverses it so that it is no longer about my own work, struggling to show love without giving up, and makes it instead a promise given to us by God: Do the work of love, showing patience, kindness, forgiveness, etc. and you will never fail. Choosing love is always a safe bet. It does my heart good to know that there is something in my life that is guaranteed success. Now for the grace to live this way.
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ReplyDeleteI think this is a great way to look at it. I have to remind myself of something similar. When I am a little eager to love someone in word or deed, sometimes I question that because it totally puts me out there. I seem silly or show my appreciation to people I am not particularly that close to. But...I remind myself that I am being honest with these people and these are loving actions or sentiments and there is no good reason why I should stop sharing those. If love encourages and builds someone up, why would I seek to stifle this? Seems ridiculous when I write it out like this. But like your post, we can always know that when we choose love, we impact the receiver for good and we bring glory to God.
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