And the greatest of these is LOVE from 1 Corinthians 13:13 - Free printable available for personal use.

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1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter.

It’s often quoted and probably used more than another scripture for weddings.

This love chapter is full of “what if’s.”

What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels?
What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge?
What if I had faith that moved mountains? (from 1 Corinthians 13 CEV)

What if?

Our what if’s could go on forever.

So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end. (from 1 Corinthians 13 MSG)

This is what perfect love looks like.  But, we’re not perfect and we live with other imperfect people in an imperfect world.

We only have a glimpse of perfect love.  We’ve experienced it to some degree when we received God’s gift of love, Jesus.  Truly and completely experiencing this real love in this dark and broken world is not fully possible.  When we finally see Jesus, then we will see, taste, and feel it like never before.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (from 1 Corinthians 13 MSG)

So in the meantime… we have something to do that will help us to experience God’s amazing love.

Actually THREE things.

  • Trust God no matter what.
  • Hope unswervingly – in HIM.
  • Love extravagantly.

Most days, I do my best to trust God and hope in Him.  But, I’m not so sure that I give much thought to loving extravagantly. Do you?

I think that’s the kind of love that Francis Chan refers to as crazy love.

So what is extravagant love?

First I decided to look up the definition of extravagant in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.

The Simple Definition of Extravagant

: more than is usual, necessary, or proper
: very fancy
: very expensive and not necessary

I looked a little farther at some of the synonyms and their definitions…

Excessive, immoderate, inordinate, exorbitant, extreme… going beyond a normal limit. excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable <excessive punishment>. immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint <immoderate spending>. inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment <inordinate pride>. exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree <exorbitant prices>. extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable <extreme shyness>.

I think we’re called to love God and each other  excessively, certainly without restraint, and definitely way beyond what anyone would ask or expect.  Yeah… that’s crazy love for sure.

What would our little spheres look like if we loved God and each other that way?

The greatest of these is love - from the Love Chapter - 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NCV

I dare you to love extravagantly this week.

Will you take the dare?

JoyDay!

 

JoyDay! 

 

I love JoyDay!  There isn’t anything better than each of us sharing the good things God has done in our lives this week.  Both in the happy and in the challenges.

Will you join with me in counting ‘seven’ from the past week?

I’ll start!

Thank you God for…

  1. Your amazing wonderful unbelievable love.
  2. a wonderful new possibility.
  3. the opportunity to meet with a dear sweet friend.
  4. this bitterly cold weather.
  5. seeing the lake change daily and “ice up” in ways we’ve never noticed.
  6. homemade chicken soup…. I never tire of it.
  7. these difficult days and knowing You’re walking with me through each one.

Now it’s your turn!  

Please join me by tapping in your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below. I dare you!

Prayer update on baby Weston…  Weston and his daddy made the trip home to AZ on Wednesday and he had another check up on Friday and he is doing really well.  Thank you so much for your prayers.

My unspoken request remains…. but know God is at work.

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to leave your sweet thoughts.

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Comments

  1. Debbi Saunders says

    Thank You Lord for…..
    1. This beautiful weather!
    2. for continued healing!
    3. for strenghtening a strained Friendship…
    4. for All my wonderful Friendships!
    5. for being my source and supply
    6. for walkling with me and making every step of this challenge smooth!
    7. for the Incredible Surgical Team I had on this journey!

  2. Debbie says

    For a warm home during this bitterly cold weather
    For Jesus seeing me through my colonoscopy with excellent results
    For my son being able to be with me
    For the peace I feel spending time with Jesus
    For the wonderful doctors and staff at the hospital
    For the continued support from family and friends
    For knowing that God loves me just the way I am!

  3. Glenda Kremer says

    1 Thank You for times we got to keep our grandbabies for the day this week
    2. Thank You for good outcome for my son’s friend in court
    3. Thank You for a mostly positive week with my alzheimers mom living with us while my brother, Rick– her live in care giver went home to Arkansas
    4. Thank You for Rick’s safe flights to and from Arkansas
    5.Thank You for my Valentine Allen–this was our 50th Valentines Day together
    6. Thank You for teaching at church this morning that taught exactly what we just saw here about love!
    7. Thank You for the 8 great friends from church and the fun lunch we all had together at PF Chang’s today!

  4. Gwen says

    Joy Day
    Yes week can be different and yes hard but I’ve known so many kinds of hard that it’s a bit hard to know what is really hard! Someone once said to look to someone who’s had it harder and yet glowed for Jesus and that would be Betsie tenBoom. No. My week has not been THAT difficult and yet in her weakened state and the headlice came, she REJOICED!!! For the soldiers would not come near and she could hold her Bible lessons more openly and sing hymns…and she glowed with Joy only Jesus gives. I lie resting after a something went terribly wrong before I even got my procedure done and rushed to hospital. But again. Not my time. I’m ready Lord. But He decides!
    And my dear husband in many pains continues on to grocery shop with a ride from our daughter. Blessing.
    His heart? Raced and raced. Appears this is his new normal. Rejoice it is not a death note.
    The laundry is going by him as he cries out in pain in his shoulder yet he knows I can’t help. Rejoice in love that is more than is usual.
    My daughter stayed by my side before and after while in hospital and had made homemade soup in advance for us. Rejoice for unselfish use of a young adult’s time showing love.
    My daughter we insist go home. Sleep. Relax. My husband pleas. We will call when it is time to leave. Rejoice it’s easy checkout. Hospital close to her. She does not tarry. Inordinate love.
    Our other daughter cooks a meal and our four year old grandson eats with us. He’s so tired he’s not friendly at first but joy when he sweetly does those simple things that mean love JOY
    Prayers go up. It’s night now and we have food for dinner. Communion we’ve done. God is good. My head is really hurting

  5. Kim says

    Beautiful, Diane. You’re so inspiring! I hope you have a blessed week!

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