by Sally Matheny
If love is patient, then it's impatience that stinks.
Everyone knows when a spouse becomes exasperated, it may be because his/her mate is not clean enough, is too-OCD-clean, won’t drive faster, or won’t drive slower. Perhaps the mate makes irritating noises with their mouth, their nose, or various other body parts. Patience is pierced when we focus on these annoyances.
Love does not stink.
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“Love
stinks." Have you ever said that?
I remember spouting the sentiment when I was a teen. No surprise there. A teen's heart can be extraordinarily tender.
However, I recently overheard an adult say. "love stinks." The remark caused me to ponder.
I remember spouting the sentiment when I was a teen. No surprise there. A teen's heart can be extraordinarily tender.
However, I recently overheard an adult say. "love stinks." The remark caused me to ponder.
Is it possible for love to stink?
If love is patient, then it's impatience that stinks.
Everyone knows when a spouse becomes exasperated, it may be because his/her mate is not clean enough, is too-OCD-clean, won’t drive faster, or won’t drive slower. Perhaps the mate makes irritating noises with their mouth, their nose, or various other body parts. Patience is pierced when we focus on these annoyances.
If
love is kind, then it’s insensitivity that hurts.
Disrespectful deeds and destructive remarks bruise relationships.
Disrespectful deeds and destructive remarks bruise relationships.
If love
is not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude, then true love is exhibiting contentment
with what we have and who we are. Not that we are to become complacent in our
Christian walk, because we should always strive toward the likeness of Christ.
And we should exhibit that with a humble and polite attitude.
If
love does not insist on its own way, then it's self-centeredness that reeks.
If love is not irritable or resentful, then bitterness is the gangrene of the heart.
If love is not irritable or resentful, then bitterness is the gangrene of the heart.
“Love
does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.”
The truth may not be the most popular or the easiest path to follow, but its aroma is always refreshing.
The truth may not be the most popular or the easiest path to follow, but its aroma is always refreshing.
If “love
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”
then giving up too quickly is the offense. An unforgiving, hardened heart will only hold a miserable hopelessness.
If we
don’t have love, then we have nothing.
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| The Stench of Sin |
Love does not stink.
The stench of sin discolors our perception of love. Satan’s
clever tactics instigate the heartaches.
Be on guard. Protect your heart against sin. The best way to do that is to fill it with love. Where can you find a deep, sincere and everlasting love? I tell you the truth—God is love.
Be on guard. Protect your heart against sin. The best way to do that is to fill it with love. Where can you find a deep, sincere and everlasting love? I tell you the truth—God is love.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not
envious or boastful or arrogant or
rude. It does not insist on its own way; it
is not irritable or resentful; it does
not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices
in the truth. It bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.”
I
Corinthians 13:4-7 (NRSV)
“Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love.”
1
John 4:8 (NRSV)
Live in a way that creates a desire in others to inhale deeply the love of
Christ.
And
if you are experiencing heartache, for whatever reason, remember,
"...neither height nor depth, nor anything else
in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans
8:39 (NRSV)
God
loves you, therefore, love never stinks.
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| God Loves You |
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