Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.    I Corinthians 13:4-8

With each year comes a new verse! You see, several years ago I decided to pick one scripture in January and that would be my verse for the year and every year, without failure, that scripture ends up showing me so much in my life and in the world around me.  However, this year’s scripture has far surpassed anything that I have ever experienced before.  You see when I choose I Corinthians 13:4-8 I chose it because I needed to learn to live like this, I needed to learn to live more like Christ.   I chose it because I wanted to love others more.  I wanted to be kinder, I wanted to be more patient, and I wanted to show these things to others so that they would know the love that I feel through Jesus Christ!  I chose it not because I think I am a bad person and I don’t do these things, I chose it to remind myself that the reason why we were put on this earth is to love one another and sometimes, oftentimes, we get so caught up in the other things of this world that we forget to do what we were created to do and that is to love!

So since I have chosen this scripture I have seen and heard it everywhere!  It has been in the craziest of places and I just smile and think I know God, you are just reminding me that it’s you who gave me this scripture…I just thought I chose it!  So as this scripture has been on my mind and in my heart for the last couple of months I have also been relating it to people and how they behave in various situations.  In my line of work I deal with lots and lots of people on a regular basis, and many times these people are dealing with various problems.  What I am amazed at is how quick we all are at judging one another.  Now you may be thinking, wait a minute, I don’t do that, but I want you to think about something.  We are so quick to wonder why people behave the way they do, why one person is talking to another person, why are they here when they should be there, why did they say that, why did they do that, why are they friends with them?  We are all guilty of this, we are all guilty of trying to figure other peoples life out when many times we don’t even have our own figured out.  There’s a scripture about this… “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3   I have learned so much by just talking to people...most people have a reason for their behavior, most people have a need for a friend and it might not be who or why you think, people need other people, people need to love, and people need to be loved, but we are so quick to judge people and cause confusion and chaos in people’s lives that some people just give up on it. 

As I read back over this scripture again something else catches my attention…not only did God tell us what love is, but he had to tell us what it is not as well.  Why?  I believe because he knows us and how we get caught up in the business of others.  The love that God is telling us about is genuine and true and wants what is best for everyone….we don’t have to understand everyone and their lives…we just have to love them…it is really that simple!  I just have to think about people that struggle with any type of mental illness and that word may seem too strong to some, but I, myself, battle with it to some degree. I struggle with anxiety and bouts of depression, and I must say, that throughout the years the love of my family and friends have been what have helped me get through my lowest points more than anything.  I think God places people in our lives that help us and we have connections with people that allow us to continue on the path that God has set before us.  However, not everyone is as fortunate as I have been and don’t have the family that I have been blessed with.  While not everyone may have family, we all can be a friend to others and you never, ever know what people are suffering with that they may never speak of.  I have discovered that people are very different on the inside once you get to know them, I mean really know them…not judge them, but love them.  So before you assume things about someone, why not just love them?  Why not assume they are doing the best they can at the time?  Isn’t that what Jesus did?  Didn’t Jesus love everyone no matter what they were doing?  If Jesus didn’t judge while he walked on this earth, then who are we to judge?  I’ll tell you who, we are nobody…we are nobody without the love of Christ and all He asks us to do is show that love to others…yes, it’s really that simple!  Love is patient, love is kind….love never fails!