Learning to Love

“If I have not love, I am nothing,” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:2. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment, after loving God, is loving people. Indeed, if we “live a life of love” as God desires (Ephesians 5:2), we will naturally obey most of His other commands.

To build better relationships, we need first and foremost to become better “lovers.” In the following article entitled “How Do You Love?” by J. Oswald Sanders (excerpted from Issue 2), the author discusses a familiar Bible passage that gives us a picture of the “life of love” to which we are called.

We will be examining this article in both sessions one and two. As you work through this study and the ones that follow, you may find it works best to read the article once without stopping to answer the questions. Underline any portions that stand out to you. Then read the article a second time, responding to the questions and exercises as you go.

1. In the space below, write the names of several people whom you’d like to love better. They can be people close to you or people you find difficult to love. Keep them in mind as you read the article and answer the questions.

The Love Chapter
Many years ago my wife and I decided to read 1 Corinthians 13 every day for a month. Every night when we went to bed we would either read it individually or recite it together.

After a week, the beauty of the chapter gripped us more than ever. But after the second week, reading it was getting decidedly awkward. And by the end of the third week, I was quite sure it was not a very beautiful chapter. For I would find myself during the day with attitudes in which love was absent, and immediately this chapter would speak to me, challenging my life on many counts.

The qualities of love attributed therein are a picture of the Lord Jesus. Everything said here was exactly true of Him. Jesus was patient. He was always kind. He was never jealous, never boastful,

never arrogant or rude. Jesus never insisted on His own way. He was not irritable. He was not resentful. He never rejoiced at anything wrong; He always rejoiced in what was right. Jesus bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, endured all things.

Jesus never failed.

But let me put it another way, and see if you can follow: I am always patient and kind. I’m never jealous. I never boast. I’m never proud. I’m never rude. I never insist on having my own way. I’m never irritable. I’m never resentful. I never rejoice in anything wrong, and I always rejoice in what is right. I bear all things, I believe all things, I hope all things, I endure all things. I never fail.