Go on to Perfection

While reading the Bible the other day I came across a passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which explains what true love looks like.  Wow.  I felt convicted for sure.  If you have ever dealt with a particularly hard person in your life you know that love can be extremely difficult.  If you have never been around a person who is mean or difficult, you won't know what I am talking about.  I was having a terrible time dealing with someone one time and I prayed about it and the Lord spoke to me and told me that Love is a choice.  So the thing about 1 Corinthians that stood out to me was the part where it says it keeps no record of wrongs.  That one sure did hit me in you know what.  It seems easy to forgive over and over and over but sometimes when you have been dealing with something for an incredibly long time you start to remember all the other stuff and then it is just like fuel for the fire.  I keep thinking about how many times I have brought up stuff in the past about my enemy.  Stuff that I should not even keep a record of.  Then I remember Jesus on the cross and how he said to forgive his enemies because they don't know what they are doing.  Today I prayed once again for my enemies but I also prayed for God to help me see my situation as he sees it.  I asked him to help me to have the kind of love he desires.  Perfect love.  The book of Philemon has an incredible story about a slave who stole from his master.  Please read it all here.  The slave ran away to Rome and met Paul where he became a believer.  Philemon was the master and the slave was Onesimus.  Paul urged Philemon to forgive his slave and treat him as a brother in the Lord.  My Max Lucado Bible tells the reader that if someone has betrayed you or offended you or turned away from you, what they did was not right.  To demand justice is natural and getting even is natural, but it's not spiritual.  Consider a higher law that sets all men free.  Wow, folks that speaking to me today.  The Bible truly does speak in your situation loud and clear.  Has anyone crucified you or abused you or stole from you?  Ask the Lord to help you deal with it and give you a clean heart and perfect love today.  Even at his death, Jesus chose to forgive.  Here is a post with 30 bible verses about love today.  Here is my Bible Art that I painted a while back.  Smile and tell someone God loves them today.