How do we show love at home? I Corinthians 13

Now that Mother's Day is over, and it's back to real life...I wanted to share this version of I Corinthians 13 that Family Life emailed. It is spot on...

If I live in a house that is spotless, perfectly in order, and people are not free to LIVE because my home is more important than my family, I have not love. I have kept a house. I have not made a home.

If I spend an exorbitant amount of money on decorations, and care more about the appearance of my house than the atmosphere of my home, I have not love. My children have learned materialism, not godliness.

If I try to control my husband, responding in irritation to him and finding only fault in him...and I do not seek to build him up, I have not love. My children have learned to disrespect their father, not to honor him.

• Love is patient - seeking to assume the best of those in my home.
• Love is kind - seeking to be a blessing to those in my home.
• Love lays aside it's "rights" and serves those in my home.
• Love sees the comfort of those in my home as more important than its own.
• Love continually looks for ways to build up those in my home.
• Love is not critical, demanding or self seeking.
• Love accepts the role that God has given and sees it as a privilege, not a hindrance.
• Love studies how to fulfill that role in the most God glorifying way it can.

Before I was an adult I thought life revolved around me. Then I took on the responsibilities of marriage. Now I see that life revolves around others and God's glory!

All the expectations I had for my marriage and my life must fade away into insignificance. What should remain is the gospel! The gospel reminds me of how full of grace and mercy God has been, how full of grace and mercy I need to be...and that I need to offer up my life as a living sacrifice.

Now there abides in my home a husband and children, and I am called to point them to Jesus in all that I do. I could seek to have my own way and my own comfort, but the greatest thing of all...the most important thing....is love.

The love of God that I show them each day. A love that I am unable to show unless He loves through me!