Jesus was a carpenter, building a temple of love
A Simple Message
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
It isn’t hard to understand the importance God places on love in the Bible. Indeed, in studying love we can easily grasp the concept of why we should love.
The two greatest commandments given by Christ even clearly explain who we should love.
A more difficult question to answer is how. How do we love God, our neighbors, and ourselves?
If you’ve ever watched a skilled carpenter apply their trade, you may be left with that same question. How do they take a pile of wood and metal and create a home?
A skilled carpenter would tell you that they are able to do this because they are using a system. A system that dictates the parts, measurements, and order of assembly. I use this example because Christ Himself was known as a carpenter.
Christ was a carpenter, building a temple of love. As with any carpentry, Christ followed a system to ensure the building’s success. The passage outlines the system used to build love in our lives.
The parts listed are: patience, kindness, humility, honesty, faith and hope.
The measurements given are: long, never-ending and all-encompassing. The order for our love’s assembly is: First, be patient enough to understand others’ weaknesses, and kind enough to lift them up regardless.
Second, humble yourself to remember that your desires are not more important than another’s.
Third, be considerate and think about other people.
Fourth, don’t hurt others.
Fifth, don’t lie; the truth shall set you free.
Sixth, never give up hope for a brighter tomorrow, and have faith that love never fails.
The seventh and final step to building love is to endure.
Building love is hard work. Just like building a home, if we stick to the system, that hard work definitely proves worth it in the end.
