Today’s 333 Devotional: “Love Hangs Tough”

In the Apostle Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, one of love’s attributes is “(love) bears all things.” The Greek word for “bear” is “stego,” which literally means to cover something, like a roof. It was used to cover something to protect it from the elements.

Figuratively, it means to cover with silence or to endure adversity with patience. It’s about enduring adverse circumstances for the betterment or welfare of others.

So, a love that bears all things is a love that hangs tough. It’s a love that doesn’t cut and run when things don’t go its way. But exactly what does love bear?

First, love bears imperfection.

This isn’t about tolerating sinful behavior; rather, it’s about accepting behavior that differs from ours. It isn’t a grin-and-bear-it attitude either. It’s a love that serves those who may be different or hold a different doctrinal viewpoint, with a smile.

Second, it’s a love that embraces personal differences.

Personal differences often divide the body of Christ. I’ve seen administratively gifted people who can’t stand visionary or creative people. Cholerics, the go-getters and let’s-get-things-done-now types, get frustrated with Melancholics, who are analytical and think everything through to the “nth” degree, or with Phlegmatics, who are relaxed and quiet and tell Cholerics to “chill.”

Finally, love overlooks selfishness.

The hardest things to bear are people who take advantage of others, those who don’t pull their weight and leave everything for others to do, and the need to endure in silence or be patient. It’s hard to love those who want us to do everything and then get mad when we can’t. But love demands that we love them despite all that.

A love that hangs tough, therefore, comes directly from God rather than from us, because only God can put up with people like you and me.