Looking for God's love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

In these verses the apostle is writing to the Corinthians about the qualities of love. The apostle tells us what love is and what it is not. In John 13:34 Jesus said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” This was an additional command from the Son of God that we should love each other, so it is with importance that we understand love.

 

The famous and luxurious Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, was originally owned and managed by George and Edith Vanderbilt, an elegant couple known for their exceptional treatment of rich and famous guests. But today when people summarize the Vanderbilts' management of the Biltmore House, they don't just retell stories about how they treated their wealthy guests; they also point to the story of how George Vanderbilt treated a young employee named Bessie Smith.

Smith was a teenager when she began working at the Biltmore, and she was intimidated by its opulence. On her first day as a server, she walked into the house's grand banquet hall and, startled by the vastness of the room, dropped the tray of monogrammed china she was carrying. George Vanderbilt, a professorial figure with dark hair and a slightly curved moustache, rose from his chair as his guests looked on, their eyes begging: What on earth are you going to say about this distraction? But he didn't say anything. Instead, he got down on his hands and knees and helped her pick up the shards before saying, 'Come see me in the morning.'" Bessie Smith assumed she was going to be fired. Instead, George Vanderbilt promoted Bessie to chambermaid, so she wouldn't have to carry such heavy dishes. [Leigh Ann Henion, "Biltmore Insider's Tour," Our State North Carolina (March 2011)]

George Vanderbilt was not irritated with Bessie, but instead was patient. George could have stood prideful in front of his guests and rudely chastised this young girl, but he instead showed love to kindly help this young girl.

Do you understand the love, grace and mercy God extends to all? If not seek out God and His Son Jesus and find out the answers for yourself.