Jan 11th, 2021: Learning to Hope with Love


We need to learn how to use our words carefully and respectfully. We should not allow ourselves the privilege to use words to vilify and destroy others. However, we will continue to run into situations that we disagree with one another, and sometimes we can trigger negative responses with our words regardless of our true intentions.

I have been asked by some people about the difference between free speech and hate speech. One of the most significant freedoms I have as a Christian is the freedom to love. So what does that mean? I am going back to the text that I used last year about love in 1 Corinthians 13.

This passage tells us that we are nothing, and we will gain nothing if we do not love. So what does it mean to love one another?

Patience: learning to suffer with one another and on each other's behalf.
Kindness: giving to others' needs before being asked.
Walk away from envy: enjoy one another as God's gift.
Stop boasting: humility is the key to influence others for the better.
Not being proud: pride is a damaging blind-spot while failing to care for others.
Honour one another: that is how we honour God because we are all created in God's image.
Not self-seeking: self-seeking stops us from having access to God in our daily life.
Not easily angered: learning to let the love of God be at the centre of our life.
Keep no records of wrong: that is how we live out our redemption in Christ. The more we receive God's forgiveness, the more we forgive.
Rejoice in the truth, not delight in evil: this is the real definition of personal and corporate freedom. The truth will set us free.
Always protect: that is how we build a sense of belonging to one another.
Always trust: trust is the bond that helps us grow in our relationship with one another even though we might disagree at times.
Always hope: believe that we have a future together. In some ways, hope is the framework for safety.
Always persevere: don't give up.

Let us take a moment and consider how we can do the right things in the next couple of days. My prayer is that we are able to find the peace that surpasses all understanding so that we can be with one another meaningfully.

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