The last day or so I have been thinking about love. Not the romantic version of love but the love that Christ called us to when he said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I hate to say it but all too often I hang on these commandments, too. It's tempting to pretend that the love Christ is talking about here is that warm, gooey love that makes people equal to chocolate chip cookies or a favorite t.v. show. Cookies and t.v. are much easier to love than people. Cookie love I can manage. Unfortunately, that's not exactly what Christ had in mind, and Paul felt the need to make sure we didn't get confused. Paul is such a great guy that he provided us with a complete checklist of exactly what love means to a follower of Christ. Thanks, Paul. Thanks a lot.
1. Love is patient
2. love is kind.
3. It does not envy
4. it does not boast
5. it is not proud.
6. It does not dishonor others
7. it is not self-seeking
8. it is not easily angered
9. it keeps no record of wrongs
10. Love does not delight in evil
11. rejoices with the truth
12. It always protects
13. always trusts
14. always hopes
15. always perseveres
I am quick to pull out these verses and use them as a score card when tallying the loving behavior of others toward me. Then I get to #9. It gets me every time. When I become truly brave and use this list as a rule for my own (un)loving behavior reality gets a whole lot more serious. It's no wonder Christ didn't feel the need to give us more than two commandments. Two commandments are really more than enough for one lifetime.
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