Tuesday, February 4, 2014

A Love Worth Giving

I was in the library the other evening while my daughter looked for a book for a homework assignment. While I waited I decided to go pick out a book for my devotional time. I had a few moments, so I puttered about the "spirituality" section. Maybe because it had been a long day and I didn't want to think about my selection too hard, I gravitated to the books by Max Lucado. I have read more than a dozen of his books. Most are kind of vanilla, shallow, and ultimately forgettable, but I have two of his books on my list of favorites. One is He Chose the Nails and the other is On the Anvil. Well now I have a third, namely his work A Love Worth Giving. This book was beautifully written and came along at a very important time for me personally. Perhaps that is why is resonated with me so strongly.

The book contains 16 chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of love as expressed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.


Of course, according to 1 John 4:19, "We love, because He first loved us." And His love, if we let it, can fill each of us and leave us with a love worth giving. I recommend this book as a great addition to your devotional time.