Learning How to Refuel My Tank

In review of 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance”

Bottom Line:

Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.

What this means to me:

Love as illustrated on my behalf will never give up, lose faith, be hopeful, and would endure through every circumstance.

Today's passage comes from 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul is explaining how love is the greatest. Starting in verse 4 he says, Love is patient and kind, it is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and keeps no records of being wronged. It doesn't rejoice about injustice but rather rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Lastly he tells me that love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

This means that the kind of love that really makes a difference in this world requires a big effort on my part, but I will enjoy huge rewards from it.

Interestingly enough I find times when I just don’t feel like I have any more love to give. The job has been extremely people-intensive and I come home and think, “I just can’t face another need, another problem, or another heartache.” So I just shut down and veg.

I’ve also experienced times when I need to show love to a particular person who is demanding, selfish, and never returns my love. And I think to myself, “I’m done. No more.”

While that’s perfectly natural and perfectly human, it’s not the standard of love God calls me to as written by Paul. This verse reminds me that, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT). Love never gives up.

So how can I have that kind of patient love for another person? I need to get refueled.

To give the kind of patient love that God wants me to give, I have to refuel my love tank. It's easy to see all around me the debris from relationships that have crashed and burned because people didn’t refuel their love.

What I’m learning is that I refuel my love tank by letting God love me. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). When I’m worn out, tired, and can’t imagine showing love to anyone else, remember that God loved me so much that he sent his Son to die for me.

That’s real fuel. It’s what will keep me going when I want to just quit.