"A More Excellent Way that Never Fails"

1st Corinthians 13.8 NIV

“Love never fails.”

Paul begins his treatment of the “the greatest” (13.13) of all human qualities in his letter to the Corinthian church with a promise to show us “a still more excellent way” (12.31)… the way of love.

I possess a sensitive and finely tuned sense of personal justice which instantly activates when I encounter people or situations that are not to my liking. As the oldest of three, I was the subject of my mom and dad’s early parenting experiments. They would be the first to admit they made mistakes and later acknowledged their expectations of me as a child were often too high. My little psyche understood what my brain and mouth could not articulate. I thought I was unfairly treated, especially when my younger siblings later received leniency for similar infractions. I rebelled for reasons I thought were justifiable.

Unquestionably, my parents did the best they could. However, I am left today with an excessively high view of justice causing an immediate visceral reaction when I witness anyone being mistreated, especially when the object of mistreatment is me!

I must overcome this demon of self-defensivism. I have fought with it my entire life. When my ire rises at the first indication of a minor injustice, I need to depend more on Jesus for a “more excellent way” which, of course, “never fails.”

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”  (vv. 4-8a)