I thought this was well worth repeating on our website…

As we begin another new year, let us always keep foremost in our hearts and minds what the greatest matter of all in life really is: Love Songs

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (The Message)

You just have to tune into almost any radio station and before long you will be hearing some love sick songwriter pouring out their heart about the magnitude of their love for that ‘significant other’. Yet here the Bible broadcasts the most profound lyrics of love.

Christ teaches His followers to love one another just as He has loved us. Yet sometimes when we look at this definition of love we can find ourselves falling far short. There are times when we do give up on people and at times we do push ourselves to be first, occasionally we do fly off the handle or keep a mental list of people’s faults. Have you ever found yourself wondering how do I develop that (1 Corinthians 13) kind of Biblical love? Where does it come from?

The Bible says that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). God is all those things described above, they are His character traits, it is simply a fair appraisal of the way He loves us. This is how we learn to love others – we have the greatest teacher of all, our mentor and ever patient Saviour who leads us day by day to be people who reflect His loving personality, making our lives, His love song.

Praying that 2012 is your best year ever.

Your Friend

John Partington