given

 
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 (NIV)
 
One of the most challenging parts of yesterday’s message (John 3:16) for me was this simple truth:
love naturally wants to give… but humans naturally want to receive.
If we’re being honest, selfishness comes pretty easy to all of us. We want to be noticed and appreciated. We want to be loved, understood, valued, and affirmed. None of that is wrong—but Christmas reminds us that real love always moves outward, not inward.
“Love is patient, love is kind…”
We hear these verses at weddings all the time. They sound beautiful. But in church this week, the pastor challenged us to read this passage a little differently—by replacing the word "love" with "Jesus".
Jesus is patient.
Jesus is kind.
Jesus does not envy.
Jesus is not easily angered.
Jesus keeps no record of wrongs.
Every single line fits Him perfectly.
Then came the harder challenge… to replace the word love with your own name.
Oof.
How accurate was that for you?
Because if we call ourselves Christians—if we truly mean “Christ-like”—then His love becomes the standard we are training for.
And I loved this distinction:
“I’m not trying… I’m training.”
Trying leaves room for quitting.
Training requires repetition, discipline, and intentional effort over time.
We don’t accidentally become more loving.
We don’t naturally default to kindness.
We don’t drift into patience.
We train for it.
And that training almost always shows up in the way we give:
Giving grace instead of snapping back
Giving time instead of excuses
Giving forgiveness instead of bitterness
Giving encouragement instead of criticism
Every time we choose to give instead of take, we look a little more like Jesus.
Christmas itself is proof of this truth. God didn’t seek something from us—He gave something to us. Love didn’t come demanding… it came offering.
 
#dailybreadbykitty
Daily Inspiration from the Bible