Battlefield Of Love

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.  

  

  As a Christian who has lived on this earth more than 54 years I find that I sometimes fail to live by the precepts of love. Patience is a big problem for me, being easily angered is another, and letting go of wrongs takes quite an effort. How wonderful it would be to live in a constant state of Christian love toward others. 

  I wish it was easy to overlook the faults of others when they wrong me, treat me with disdain, or judge me in some fashion. I would like to say my constant reaction is to always respond with Christian love. Pat Benatar says in one of her songs: Love is a battlefield. 

  Yet it should not be, especially for the Christian. We live in a very flawed world and we ourselves struggle with a flesh-and-blood body that affects our emotions and thoughts. However, we are not without help and hope. 

  We look at Jesus and consider the way He overcame insults and slander thrown at Him. We contemplate how He could respond with love and compassion when He was accused of horrible things. He was spat upon, beaten, and ridiculed. Jesus is our our example for responding toward unkindness and even hatred in others. Jesus is the ideal of what we must aspire to become. Because He lived a godly and loving life regardless of the horrible actions of others, so can we. 

  We who live with bodily afflictions and emotional turmoil due to our many ailments are particularly challenged when it comes to our attitude and reactions toward those around us. Our emotional responses can become clouded and blurred. They are often informed by our pain and suffering rather than our Christian love and understanding. Yet we can ask for help.

  Leaning upon the Lord, calling upon the Holy Spirit, and responding to the powerful teaching of scripture, we can find our way through our emotional turmoil into the peace and grace of Jesus Christ. When we recall how patient our Lord has been with us, and how much He loves us despite our many failings, we can better forgive and love those around us who fail us in many ways. 

  While love can feel like a battlefield, in truth love is a choice to obediently follow a Lord who loves us and forgives us daily. We can do likewise as we call upon Jesus to fill us with His love and compassion. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us for failing at love. Empower us to be more like You, especially when it comes to loving others. Amen