By Peggy Still—

Our Goddaughter, Cassie, will be married this year. It’s hard to imagine where the years have gone. As she, her mother, and I sat around the dining room table planning for the big day the conversation turned to her vows. Would she use the traditional vows of the Church, write her own, or some combination of both?  “Definitely traditional,” was her answer. I inquired about scripture and she thought about it for a moment. Suggesting I Corinthians 13, I read to her from the Message. “That’s it!” she proclaimed. All efforts to define love cannot compare to the apostle Paul’s description of Christ and the love He enables in us when He dwells in our heart.

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.

Love never dies. (The Message)

There are nine basic ingredients mentioned in these verses; patience, kindness, generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, honesty, and sincerity. How can two diverse people work together to form a single, unified life together? Paul answers that question with the famous lyrical description of love, adding respect for each other and taking direction from Christ, the head of the union.

Love is so much more than the joy-filled happiness of first falling in love. It is impervious to difficult situations. The ability to love others is the result of being loved by God. There can be no love without Christ living in us. His promise to love us is connected to a profound intimacy with Him. When we abide in Him and He in us, we know true love.

“Love is the standard that flies on the battlements of the heart when the King is in residence”

—R. Leonard Small.

 

 

Peggy Still: Peggy continues to serve on staff at The Fuller Foundation in Pasadena, California. Peggy is a featured speaker in a variety of areas for women including finance, social issues and leadership. She also serves as a consultant to churches and other non-profit organizations in the areas of administration and fund-raising. Married to Mark for 33 years they have one daughter and raised two foster children. Peggy and Mark make their home in southern California.

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