“If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.”–1 Corinthians 13:3 NET Bible
What Is the Measure of Love?Part I
In part one, you discovered that true love that lasts a life time is possible if you are willing to have the right attitudes and practice certain behaviors. Those attitudes and behaviors that define love are:
patience, kindness, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not selfish, not easily angered, not thinking evil thoughts, not rejoicing in wrongdoing, rejoicing in the truth, bearing (enduring) all things, and believing all things.
How would you feel if you found someone who loved you in the way that is described above?
Would you feel great or special? Well, someone does! God loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) to die, so that if you believe in His Son you would have eternal life. (John 3:16) This is the greatest love that there is; that someone would choose to die in order to save another. That is what Jesus Christ did; and although you may not have to physically die like He did, true love requires a certain kind of death.
What do I mean by a certain kind of death? You will need to die to the things that rob people of true love and happiness; the things that will leave you feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. These include:
- Impatience
- Meanness
- Envy
- Pride
- Rudeness
- Selfishness
- Anger
- Evil thoughts
- Loving sin
No one is perfect; everyone fails to live up to these expectations from time to time. Everyone on earth has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The important thing is to get up again and keep trying. Keep trying to be patient; keep trying to be kind, keep trying to be happy for others (instead of envying them); keep trying to be humble and to do good for others. When you are plagued with sinful or evil thoughts, dismiss them from your mind and replace them with positive thoughts. (Philippians 4:8) If you are caught up in a sinful habit, decide to stop right now; and ask God to give you the strength that you need. (James 1:12)
Love is not just a feeling or an emotion, nor the passion and excitement of a romantic relationship, but the source of life like it is meant to be. So, if you are sincere about finding true love, having a positive attitude and practicing the right behaviors could bring it to you faster than you’ve ever imagined. Failure to do so could leave you forever chasing after the wind.
A Wellspring Of Thought 
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