Love Endures All Things

1 Corinthians 13:7

“Love…endures all things”

“In sickness and in health” is a popular statement that most of us have heard. It is part of an often used wedding vow. The difficulty in loving one another during good times, or “health”, is minimal. The main point of that vow is that even in difficult times, even when times are rough, even in “sickness”, our love will endure.

There is no closer relationship on earth than the bond between husband and wife (at least that should be the closest bond between two humans). Your spouse is the one you have chosen to spend your life with. They are the one person you have vowed to be with forever, no matter what.  You are born into a family, but you choose your spouse.

But what about your friends and families? Of course you should stick through difficulties with them too. If you truly love someone you will be willing to forgive and endure the difficult times.  It is a common theme in today’s society to cut someone out of your life when they hurt you. Statements like “think about yourself” or “do what is best for you” or “they don’t deserve your friendship” are common. The irony of it is we naturally think about ourselves and do what is best for us, and doing those things are prideful in most cases. God commands us to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39), to forgive infinitely (Matthew 18:22), and to endure the difficult times.

Some of us may have been backstabbed or hurt by family and friends and feel as though that is not what God means when He says we need to endure all things or forgive infinitely. While I do think you need wisdom to discern whether to actually be friends with people who have hurt you countless times, we are always commanded to forgive and we are always commanded to love them. If an attribute of true love is to endure all things, including the difficulties and sins against you then we are always commanded to love the other person, even if it is from a distance.

Jesus is a great example of loving a friend who cut him deeply. In Luke 22:54-62 we see Peter deny Jesus not once, not twice, but three times! This was the same friend he had spent 3-4 years with every day. Jesus had even told Peter that he would deny Him and Peter boldly claimed that he was ready to die for Him (Luke 22:31-33).

After the third denial and the rooster crowed, Jesus and Peter’s eyes met and Peter, remembering that Jesus predicted his denial, wept bitterly (verse 62). But think about how Jesus would have felt. One of his best friends had just denied Him three times. He denied being a friend of Jesus. That must have felt like a punch to the gut. Think about if a friends of yours backstabbed you or spoke out against you in some way. That would be painful, and it would be difficult to trust them again. Perhaps we would forgive but it would be extremely difficult to love them again. Once again, though, Jesus is our great example on loving others.

In John 21:15-21, after Jesus has risen and the disciples have already seen Him, He joins them on the beach to enjoy breakfast together. Jesus look at Peter and three times He asks him, “do you love me?” The third time Peter realizes that Jesus has asked three times since Peter denied Him three times. All three times Peter tells Christ that he does love Him, and Christ forgives him. Not only that, but He gives Peter the responsibility of leading the disciples when Christ returns to heaven! His love for Peter endured the denials and backstabbing.

We must follow the example Christ gives for a love that endures, not society. A love that endures is one that is powerful, and one that will be a great example to those around you. Let us all aim to not think about loving ourselves but for loving other who have sinned and who need a Christlike example to shepherd them back to the flock.

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