You LOVE Who?

Sisters... the most excellent way..... TO LOVE.
As I have read 1 Corinthians 13 for what seems like the very first time, I have captured the "skirt tail" of the Holy Spirit... I feel as though my eyes have been opened to THE LOVE, the AGAPE LOVE, the LOVE of JESUS. While confident in my ability to understand this scripture(for Heaven's sake, it was read at MY wedding), I have found myself in an "A-Ha" moment of how I interpret this text.
What did I get....I got another dose of "dying to self." When I have everything else in the whole world, even a spiritual gift of prophecy(which is ranked 2nd behind apostleship), but don't LOVE the world, I have NOTHING. If I have the faith to move an entire mountain, burn my body for goodness sake, and give all things to The Christian Ministry Center, but do not LOVE, then I have gained nothing!
When you truly LOVE, it is a GIVING away of energy to what you love....True Love denies Self seeking...True Love is a gift that you give AWAY completely...That is how my Jesus loves me. Even in the times that I disappoint Him and choose the very wrong decision...He LOVES me. Praise God!!
And, verse 8 tells us assuredly, "Love NEVER fails." It is the right choice, the right focus everytime.
The text also SPEAKS that when perfection comes(Jesus), the IMPERFECT will disappear... the only thing left will be Christ and His beautiful love. All the other things that we worry about, stress about, get angry about....REALLY don't matter. Really....
Christ will make manifest in us HIS PURE LOVE....a Love that knows no ending...

SO, do you love... Really? The world teaches us to love "ourselves" over anything. We live in a world of getting ahead and always winning....when sometimes by soaking ourselves in this mentality, we miss the mark of spiritual growth. We miss the lessons that our Spiritual Guide is trying so desperately to teach us... yet, isn't this why we are here. To carry out the plan that our Lord has for each of us?

To truly LOVE takes US out of the equation and opens our eyes and hearts to the Holy Spirit.

Does this take a conscious effort? Yes, I think at first...but after long enough, it becomes who we are. It becomes how we are made. It becomes our path to Christ...

Let us LOVE one another Sisters...the most EXCELLENT way.
Brantlee