“[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.” (1 Cor. 13:7)
We parents always hope that our kids would have good appetites so that they can grow healthily. I’m no exception. My older daughter does not enjoy eating much, however. It takes her close to an hour just to finish a meal. The dining table can easily become our battlefield. My husband and I used to think that she was behaving this way on purpose. But not long ago, God led us to find out that my daughter actually lacks sufficient saliva, and therefore has problems swallowing. In the past, I always tried to break her habit of drinking water when eating. I did not want her stomach to be filled with water instead of food, not knowing or trusting that she actually needed the water in order to eat.
The apostle Paul talked about the elements of love in 1 Corinthians 13. His wisdom has taught me that only when we trust out of love can we accept behaviors from others that we do not necessarily expect. We trust not only in people, but also in God’s perfect plans for them. We should even trust and hope that God is molding us to be more like Christ through each and every single relationship, especially the ones that test our patience.
“We love, because God first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) If we do not experience God’s love first, we do not know how to genuinely love others. Sometimes, we may not be happy about what our loved ones do. But I pray that we can still trust and accept them because of His love.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you believe God loves you infinitely and unconditionally? Spend some time meditating on God’s love and give thanks to Him.
- Are you frustrated or irritated by anyone because of his or her habits and behaviors? Ask God to reveal to you if your expectations are justified and to help you understand the reasons behind the person’s behavior. Regardless of the reasons, ask God to help you trust and accept that person in love.
Written by Maggie Hui. Artwork by Carol Li