Mother's Day and Love Relationships

Reflection: on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

by Dr. James R. Brooks May 10, 2010

“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.”

So often our relationships are impacted greatly by our emotions. You may have heard the term, “Kick the cat” to sum up the effect of a boss who is angry yelling at an employee who comes home to yell at their spouse who yells at their child who yells at their dog who yells at the cat. Having an emotion usually is not a choice. That we have an emotional response to something or to someone often may not be our choice. How we act upon that emotional response can be our choice. If we encourage that emotional response within ourself can be our choice.

Mother’s Day is a celebration of a relationship sometimes fraught with emotional experience. In our best vision, the parent / child relationship is not dominated by emotional response. In our great desire, within the love relationship we share something more than emotional reactions.

In last Sunday’s sermon, I focused upon the last four phrases of this piece of scripture. The main point I wanted to make in the sermon was that love relationships (typified by the stereotype of Mother’s Day) are relationships wherein we are more fulfilled by witnessing joy in the other (our children, spouse, etc) than in the other making us happy. It is a type of relationship modeled by Jesus.

That being said, Love bears all things daily. In the daily grind of life, love bears all that occurs. Regardless of our mood, the weather, the stock market, all the outside and inside forces; we love the other. Our love for the thou is not dependent upon our waking on the right side of the bed or the perfection of thy outfit when leaving for school. Imagine the trust we endear in thy life when our love bears all things - the foibles and failures, success and satisfactions - daily.

Love believes all things is the powerful indwelling of confidence in thee. Not that we would by necessity believe every word spoken or deed performed. Rather love believes in the person as a child of God. Regardless of what thou hast done, those who love believe in thee. Ever found yourself saying, “I can’t believe you just _______?” In spite of that comment, love believes in the person as a creation of God. Imagine the confidence instilled in the recipient of that love.

My extended family hoped my generation would go to college. A very loving hope based upon a desire that my generation would have a better life. This hope was expressed in each celebration of a high school graduation and the addition of the graduates picture to a collection of other graduates in the family. Even more, this hope was expressed in the sacrifice of resources to pay tuition, housing, etc. Love hopes all things with a willingness to sacrifice so that thy will realize the hope, experience that which is hoped, achieve the goal. Love hopes all things with a willingness to set aside our hope for the hope thou hast claimed.

The women who were at the cross when Jesus died, they endured all things. Love endures all things because of the promise to never abandon thee. Thou are loved so deeply as to never experience the absence or rejection once experience by our Lord, Jesus. Imagine the confidence to reach for that which is hoped when knowing thou will never be abandoned! To endure is not to accept. Love never accepts injustice done to thee. However, love endures all things done to or by thee. Nothing can separate those who love this way.

These loving relationships are not about sparing the rod and spoiling thee. Rather they are based upon the love given by God to all God’s children. All who draw breath are loved so by God through Jesus Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

I am blessed to have learned much of human behavior through my studies in psychology, anthropology, sociology, history, etc. Humanity has such a wealth of knowledge that if applied would foster more meaningful and healthful relationships. Yet the love relationship described by 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and reflected upon by me is only made possible when built upon the foundation of God’s love. I know of no other way to approach such a loving relationship. Thankfully, the foundation of God’s love is available to us all each day in a diversity of ways.