A few weeks ago when I went to my sister’s wedding, they read 1st Corinthians 13 from the Bible. I’m pretty sure the same was read at my wedding. In fact, I put the last verse of that chapter on the reception napkins along with our names and wedding date. But I was surprised as the preacher began to read it.

It had been so long since I had read it I had forgotten what love is according to that passage. After 15 years of marriage I realized that even though our marriage commitment was firm, that strong love for each had become hum-drum. There have been times in my marriage when frustrating struggles would cause my emotions to control me. Emotions like anger, self-pity, stubborness, depression and regret have lead my down the selfish path. And my children, too, have learned to follow that path of selfishness rather than love.
I looked at my newly wed sister and her husband and their brand new love and life together and was astonished at how the years can lead you away from the exciting hope-filled love that brought you together and placed a glowing smile on your face that couldn’t easily be removed. I knew I needed to review the meaning of love.
Much to my surprise but all within the providence of God, our church chose that passage to memorize for this month of August. In the King James Version of the Bible love is called charity. Our church is memorizing it in the New King James Version where it is called love. Here it is:
4 Love suffers long
and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself,
is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity,
but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
8 Love never fails.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
These verses tell of 16 qualities of love. Currently, my children and I are memorizing this and I pray with them that we would practically show these characteristics towards one another