Building Family Unity Series: Proving Love

Published September 1, 2012 | By Krista

This song has been stopping me in my tracks lately– especially the part at the end where the singer reads 1 Corinthians 13. Years back I volunteered in a soup kitchen located under a downtown overpass. As I poured hot coffee into styrofoam cups, the woman who ran the ministry began scolding me for how I was distributing coffee. I watched her criticize, find fault, and speak harshly to everyone who was helping feed the homeless that day. She reminded me of the “gong” or “rusty gate” that this verse speaks of — simply noise….in Jesus name. The irony was astounding. She was “serving God” all the while wearing bitterness and a hard heart like a badge. They don’t go together. Not when God is the source of love. Not when that is the very thing He asks of us.The Message translation of 1 Corinthians puts it this way:

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

So how is your love of God being reflected in your home? Whether you are cooking meals, planning a birthday party, tying a shoe, mowing the lawn, paying bills, breaking up a sibling fight, quieting too loud voices, disciplining a stubborn spirit, or helping with homework?

“No matter what we say, no matter what we believe, no matter what we do, we are bankrupt without love.”

What is the music of your life? Does it bring joy, life, and energy to those around you, or is it simply clanging noise? Like mine, it is possibly a mixture of both. My sincere prayer is that God would change my music when it doesn’t reflect Him. I pray often for an awareness that allows me to see clearly, and that my life would speak of the grace and love that has been freely given to me.

In order to have unity in a family, or any relationship, there HAS to be love. You could plan the greatest date, the most creative family trip, serve the poorest of the poor together, sit week after week in a Bible Study, or attend every game and activity, but without love, it will mean nothing. The reverse is also true. A walk through the neighborhood, making chocolate chip cookies, driving in a car, or even weeding together can become significant unifying moments if sprinkled with an abundance of love. In the words of Mother Teresa: ”Do small things with great love.” And do it DAILY.

I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago and came home to some dead flowers. The person I hired to water had missed a couple of pots and they were completely brown and beyond repair. Flowers need daily watering. You can give them a heavy dose and saturate the soil, but it will only help the plant a couple of days at the most. Less water given more often keeps them healthy and growing.

The same is true of caring for the people in our sphere. Offering love in our day to day interactions on a consistent basis grows healthy relationships. Big moments are important, and add significantly to the daily interactions, but we can’t expect those to carry the relationship. So… as you are waking the kids up for school, driving them to the next practice, and discussing how the holidays will be spent with your spouse {wink} — water, water, water and watch those flowers bloom.

CHOOSE TO PROVE LOVE.