Love Never Fails

By John Lysaught

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8).

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7).

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7).

Above are just some examples of the plethora of verses regarding love found in the Bible. Biblical love is something we should all embrace and live because Jesus loved us, and gave His life for us on the cross for our sins, so if we believe in His life and resurrection we can spend eternity with Him in heaven.

I will admit before I was saved I didn’t love as the Bible says to love. I have always had love for my family, friends and life but not in the sense of what the Bible says. I lived life for myself, my selfish ways, always looking out for number one: me. I wasn’t patient, I wasn’t necessarily kind, and I had bitterness in my heart for all the wrongs done to me (by what I thought was punishment from God). I felt like I was a toy that He played with to make my life miserable for His own pleasure of watching me struggle.

I used to live completely in the world and fell for the temptations of the world. I did what I felt like doing regardless of the consequences. I partied, I slept around, and I didn’t love others. I looked out for myself only and fulfilled my own desires of pleasure without a second thought to the plight I was heading for: hell.

Only once I was saved did I realize how I hurt others, myself and how much I let God down by my actions, words, and the life that I had led from my teenage years until I was saved. Did I mature in my life, as I got older? Yes, but I was still reckless in my younger years and did all the wrong things (I thought were right for me and no one else). I was on the wide path to destruction and I didn’t know it and didn’t care at the time. 

Once I found Jesus, once I was saved and began my walk with Him I realized how bad a life I had lived and thanked God that I made it to salvation before it was too late for me. Only as I delved into the Word and walked along with Jesus did I realize what love truly is and what it means for me, others and for my salvation. I realized how I used to live was not in love but in selfishness fulfilling my own desires without a second thought to the repercussions. How many people did I hurt? How did my selfishness affect the lives of others? How bad of a person was I, really? 

If I met some of the people I hurt and affected negatively they would not recognize me, and they would say I am a different person. Why? Because I have the love of Jesus in me now and I try to emulate that love to the best of my ability. Do I fail sometimes? Of course I do. I’m not perfect. I’m not holier than thou, and mostly I am a human in a fallen world full of sin. Yet I strive to live for love and portray that love to others in the way that Jesus wants me to.

For me, it’s about attitude and demeanor. If I keep love and compassion in the forefront of my mind, I emulate the love of Jesus to others and myself, reminding myself that it is my duty to love myself, love others, and most important, to love Jesus. If I keep that attitude of love at the forefront of my mind, I’m a happier person and feel good and closer to the Lord. When I slip, when I fail to love, when I get angry or frustrated I feel guilty. I feel separated from God and I do my best to make amends and pray for forgiveness.

What about you? How is your love attitude? Do you just love and think about yourself and not others? Do you look out for number one (you) or do you look out for others and show love toward others? At first I found this hard to do—in the beginning of my walk with Jesus. It was not an automatic instant change in attitude. It took work and time through prayer, reading and taking to heart the words in the Bible about love and caring for others. As time passed and I learned more about love, I began working on my love attitude toward others. I failed a lot at first, but now, even though I still slip sometimes, I can say that I show love toward others a majority of the time. I urge you to emulate the love of Christ to others. 

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