1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

From the few sites I visit to get my daily bible verse it seems I always find one  that is relevant and applicable to whatever struggle I am dealing with.  Some of my current doubt lead to some very disturbing dreams last night and I awoke with a sense of defeat.  I felt defeated in my progress, defeated in my ambition, and defeated in love.  Then I come across this; “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres“.  What a great reminder that love is not what I try to mold it into, it is something more.  Selfishness creeps in and distorts my thinking, and turns the focus on self and I start to evaluate everything in light of my current emotional mood.

My emotional status has nothing to do with what love is and how I should be relating to my life, wife and family.  All the adjectives within the verse apply to me.  I can see everyone of them in my attitude, actions and speech.  What a stark and timely reminder that I must evaluate based on God, not on self.