Measuring Up

The following bible passage by the Apostle Paul regarding love is from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. We will consider it from two perspectives.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The first perspective in Christ:

Christ is patient; Christ is kind; Christ is not envious or boastful or arrogant  or rude. Christ does not insist on His own way; Christ is not irritable or resentful; Christ does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Christ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The second perspective in you:

 “I” am patient; “I” am kind; “I” am not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. “I” do not insist on my own way; “I” am not irritable or resentful; “I” do not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoice in the truth. “I” bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things.

One season the high school volleyball team that I coached failed for the first time in 17 years to qualify for the state tournament. We were quite capable of doing so. However, as we progressed through the season we had taken losses we should not have. As we were nearing the likelihood that mathematically we would be eliminated from post season play a few colleagues asked me why I did not pick up a game or two with teams that we could defeat so as to gain the number of wins needed to qualify. My response was that if we played to our potential we would have qualified on that merit. We either measure up or we do not.

From the first perspective Love and Christ, as we can see, are synonymous. Love and Christ are one in the same. But, what of us? I can honestly say that throughout my life and as well today; Love, Christ and I have not been consistently synonymous. And only by love will He know us. We must ask ourselves: Are we in His likeness in love? Do we measure up? In all truth, by our human nature, we can never measure up completely. But we surly can get as near as any human can by striving to implement those attributes of love as is depicted in the passage above.