Complete Failure

Our 'assignment' for today in Modern Girl's Guide was to dig deeper into 1 Cor 13.  It is a little tough to think of something to 'dig deep' on when the whole chapter is love, love, love.  Which, of course, is the greatest of all, but when she tells you to dig deep, you feel like you have to ignore the word love because it is the obvious answer.

Now, the many facets of love are free game.  I don't know what it is about the very first statement in verse 8 that caught my eye.  Probably the finality of it.  Love. Never. Fails.  That's it.  Plain and simple.  No questions.  No hiccups.  No failures.

So, to dig a bit deeper I checked out the word fail.  Here are the definitions dictionary.com gives:  1) to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved: The experiment failed because of poor planning. 2) to receive less than the passing grade or mark in an examination, class, or course of study.  3) to be or become deficient or lacking; be insufficient or absent; fall short.  4) to dwindle, pass, or die away 5) to lose strength or vigor; become weak. 

There isn't much in this life that doesn't fail.  I can't really think of anything that I know without a shadow of a doubt will never happen.  It is a bit depressing to think about, true, but can't be argued.  Things fall short they become insufficient they pass away.  It is the way life is.  Failure is all around us.  The only thing we know will never, ever leave us is love.  And truthfully, only the love of God guarantees complete success.  I can't even say any other type of love is this dependant. 

It would be my opinion that love given away in the same manner of God's love for us would also be unfailing, but as human beings we are incapable of always loving like Christ.  That is why human love also fails.  People give up.  Love gets hard.  It is a lot of work to love like Jesus.  To give up all of ourselves for the sake of another.  To love without any thoughts of one's self.  What a task.

God does it for us every second.  I need to at least try to do a better job at it for others.

Holy Spirit, thank you for bringing this word to my attention today.  Failure is a part of life.  Usually a hard part.  It is so great to know that there is one thing we can always count on no matter what life may bring.  God's love is unfathomable.  It is unfailing.  It is so hard to even wrap my head around something so secure.  I am more used to the presence of failure, the let downs, the sadness and all that it entails.  Thank you for this rock and help me to share this kind of love with others.  Help me to take myself out of my love; to get out of my opinions, my comfort zone and my needs/desires and love others because you love them and sharing your love brings glory to you.