What Does Love Look Like?

Image result for love never fails1 Corinthians 13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails
Yesterday Paul explained to the Corinthians they had been given various types of spirtual gifts just as the Holy Spirit had determined.  One of the more spectaculur gifts was speaking in tongues, and another was prophesying.  The tendency in having such extraordinary gifts is they could easily lead to pride. So Paul gives the church a litmus test to guard against it.  The test is that no matter how extraordinary of a spiritual gift you possess, if you do not use it in love it is useless.    
Paul goes on to say that we can do all kinds of awesome things for God, but if they are not motivated and done in love, they are in vain.  Then, Paul gives an excellent definition of what "real love" looks like.  He says the kind of love God desires is patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not easily angered or delights in evil, but rejoices in the truth.  Notice love is an action.  You know love when you see it.  When someone does something for you out of love it feels different than when it is done out of obligation.  Paul reminds us that it is not always WHAT we give but HOW we give it.  
Finally, Paul makes an incredible promise.  He says, "LOVE NEVER FAILS".  You might say, "Wait a minute i see love failing all the time!"  But this is not God's love.  God's love was best illustrated when He sent His Only Son to the earth to save humankind from sin.  The height of Jesus' demonstration of God's love was when he willingly went to the cross to suffer and die for our sins.  Notice Jesus didn't go to the cross out of obligation, but the bible says he "laid his life down for us".  God's very essence is love.  This is why the scripture says, "God is love".  God can't ever do anything unloving, because it would go against his nature.     
So while serving God using our spiritual gifts is one of the most important purposes we have as a Christ follower without love it fails.  To the contrary, if we do something in love it can never fail.  Thank God for the love he has shown you.  When you truly receive and experience God's love you can't help but share it.   

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