怎樣才是愛？
哥林多前書十三章4至13節
4愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，
5不做害羞的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易發怒，不計算人的惡，
6不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；
7凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。
8愛是永不止息。先知講道之能終必歸於無有；說方言之能終必停止；知識也終必歸於無有。
9我們現在所知道的有限，先知所講的也有限，
10等那完全的來到，這有限的必歸於無有了。
11我作孩子的時候，話語像孩子，心思像孩子，意念像孩子，既成了人，就把孩子的事丟棄了。
12我們如今彷彿對著鏡子觀看，糢糊不清（原文作：如同猜謎）；到那時就要面對面了。我如今所知道的有限，到那時就全知道，如同主知道我一樣。
13如今常存的有信，有望，有愛這三樣，其中最大的是愛。
信息分享
只要我們用「基督」的名字，來取代經文中的「愛」字，我們就見到基督的全面寫照了。我們藉此可引證一個事實，就是唯有當基督住在我們裡面，我們才能活出保羅所講的那種愛。
留意第4節：「愛是恆久忍耐」。這表示愛要求我們能忍耐別人。這絕不容易做到，尤其是當一個天生性急的人，剛巧碰著一慢吞吞的人。因此，「忍耐」就包含了以愛心去接納別人的意思。
愛又是恩慈。我們可以對人有忍耐，卻沒有恩慈。忍耐有時可以表示袖手旁觀，但恩慈卻要求我們去主動幫助別人。恩慈的表現最能見證基督。
保羅還指出愛是不嫉妒，愛是樂於分享、不自誇、不求自己的益處、對人有禮貌、不堅持己見、不暴躁和不輕易動怒。最容易破壞家庭或教會和諧的罪，首推是暴躁和易發脾氣的罪。我們必須將自己的脾氣交給基督去掌管。
當別人得罪我們的時候，愛有神奇的醫治力量，能使我們忘記所受的傷害。我們經常聽到別人說：「我永遠不會忘記某人對我的傷害」。一個被基督的愛所充滿的人，是永遠不會說這句話的，因為愛只有寬恕。
請細讀這章經文，再三細味保羅形容愛的每個字詞，然後檢視自己的生命是否擁有這些素質。記著，只有基督才能將這種真愛帶給你。
禱告：
「主啊，過去我不懂得去愛的人，求你今天幫助我懂得如何去愛他。」
WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE?
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Message
Place the name 'Christ' wherever Paul uses the word love and you will see this picture of Christ. This will bring home to you the fact that you will only be able to show the kind of love Paul talks about here as Christ lives out his life in you and through you. (In some older versions of the Bible you will find 'charity' instead of 'love'. 'Charity' is an old English word for 'love'.) Notice verse 4. Love is patient. This means love is patient with people. It isn't always easy, especially if you are quick by nature and others around you are slow. We could say, being patient is lovingly putting up with others who are disagreeable.
Love is kind. You can be patient yet not be kind. Patience may sit doing nothing while kindness is active helping someone. Kindness is a wonderful witness for Christ.
Paul adds that love is not jealous. Love is happy to share. It is not boastful. It does not want to draw attention to itself. Love has good manners and does not insist on its own way. Love is not irritable; it is not quick-tempered. There is no sin that can so quickly destroy harmony in a home or in a church as the sin of quick temper, which has never been brought under the control of Christ.
Love has an amazing power to forget when it has been wronged. Often people say, 'I'll never forget what they have done to me'. Love never says that. Love forgives.
Go carefully through this chapter and look at each word Paul uses concerning love. Then ask if that quality is present in your own heart and life. Remember Christ is the one who alone can bring about that kind of love in you.
A PRAYER:
'Lord, help me to love someone today whom I have never loved before.'