LOVE IS . . .

By Marion Kelley Bullock

Sometimes I start feeling sorry for myself. I feel like chanting the old tune I remember from childhood:
“Nobody loves me, everbody hates me,
Goin’ out in the garden and eat ‘erms.
Great big fat ones, great big slick ones,
Great big fuzzy, ‘uzzy erms."

I’ve never sunk quite low enough in my depression that I’ve actually gone out and dug up worms. But I’ve come close, and if I’d thought for one second it would help matters, I would have. Maybe they wouldn’t taste too bad fried.

It does hurt when people—friends, family members—turn against us. When it’s happened to me, I’ve struggled, actually made myself sick, agonizing over the broken relationship. I’ve lain awake nights, begging God to take away the damage that doesn’t seem to be fixable. “What can I do, Lord?” or “What can I say?” doesn’t always yield an answer. Sometimes we simply have to stand by our beliefs and honor the Lord our God above all things.

But even then—or maybe especially then, we must remember love. In 1 Corinthians 13:13, we read, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (NIV).

Worry over things we cannot control is foolish. It has no power to change any situation and only harms those of us who yield to it.

Love, however, does have power. We’re told in Matthew 5:44, 46, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you . . . If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” (NIV).

So when we feel so low, so un-loved that we don’t think we can bear to live, we must turn our eyes to Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (NIV).

He, who is perfect, endured persecution. So what makes us, imperfect creatures that we are, think we deserve better?