LOVE NEVER FAILS
27th Jul 2016
In church we are having a series over the summer holiday weeks entitled “Gardeners Question Time”. Many of you will know the BBC Radio 4 format. In John 15, Jesus talked about his Father as a gardener and indicates there is the need for, pruning, nurturing, remaining, etc.; all to the end of bearing much fruit.
We had a panel and took questions from the floor, such as, “When did you first connect with Father God and Jesus?” “How do you maintain this relationship?” “How do you recognise when you are not connecting to the life flowing through the vine?” Good questions, and some very practical answers were given.
For me, and I was one of the panel, probably the most probing question was “How do you personally measure the “fruit” of love, and what do you do when you are finding it difficult to love?”
A few weeks ago I heard an explanation of 1 Corinthians 13 about “Love is....” I was personally challenged by realising that “love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:7) It is not passive and doesn’t withdraw into a neutral stance where you no longer give, but give up and step back, well behaved but not engaged!
The hardest thing to do when relationships have been broken, and even when they are mended is to choose to trust again. Love chooses to keep loving, and even if it means you could get hurt again, it keeps loving. “Love never fails.” (v 8)
Check your crop of fruit today, and “as much as lies within you live at peace (and love) with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)
by Joyce Sibthorpe
