love embodied.

I was thinking the other day how I would title this chapter of life... And, well, I decided that these past few months aren't really a chapter of my life, they are a whole new book made up of all sorts of little chapters. I think the title of the book should be Metamorphosis... And I think I'd like to title one the chapters, which I'm currently living, something like this: Being Infused With a Supernatural Love.

I see how impossible it is to live the love that Christ calls us to unless we die to ourselves and are infused with a supernatural love.

Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, 13:4-7 (ESV)

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

In light of Jesus' call for us to die to ourselves, what do these character traits of love look like?

Being patient means dying to the desire of an untroubled life.

Being kind means dying to the fear that others may not return that kindness.

Having no envy means dying to the desire for unshared affection.

Not boasting means dying to the desire to call attention to our successes.

Not being rude means dying to the desire to express our freedom offensively.

Not insisting on your own way means dying to the dominance of our own preferences.

Not being irritable or resentful means dying to the need for no frustrations.

Not rejoicing at wrongdoing means dying to the desire to see others "get what they deserve."

Bearing or enduring all things means dying to the desire to run away from the pain of obedience.

And if we die to these things, then what do we live to?

Being patient means being willing to enter the situations that are difficult because we believe in the power of the Spirit.

Being kind means living to shower all of the undeserved kindness we receive from God on others.

Having no envy means living to rejoice in what God gives others.

Not boasting means living in the freedom to boast about God and what he has done through others.

Not being rude means living with others in such a way that your freedom is used to build them up and not your own sinful desires.

Not insisting on your own way means living in the confidence that "I live now in Christ's way, trusting that the sovereign God, who is my Father, will always guide me down the right path."

Not being irritable or resentful means living to bring grace into every situation like Jesus did.

Not rejoicing at wrongdoing means living in such a way that others see mercy from us when so many want to give them justice.

Bearing and enduring all things means living unafraid of pain because we know that God uses pain to make us more and more into the image of his son.

When everything else in this world eventually comes to an end, love will not. It is eternal. Just think how radically we could live on this earth earth if we lived in light of eternity!

Those lists are from a message I listened to the other day by one of the elders from Cornerstone, Francis Chan's church in California, Todd Nighswonger, and the message is called Love Embodied. You can find the video podcast on the website: www.cornerstonesimi.com under the "media" tab on the left.