“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.”
First Corinthians 13:4-7 is often used to characterize the love that one person has for another or what a couple should strive for in a marriage. However, Paul’s assertion here to the Corinthian Church calls to mind the true character of Jesus Christ - Jesus’ PERFECT love for us. It is a love that has the ability to withstand the fiercest of storms and the most barren droughts. It is a love that has the ability to empower us to love even when we feel unlovable, with nothing left to give.
The depths of this Jesus-love take on a whole new meaning for those of us who fight exhausting battles in our mind on a daily basis. When we experience the difficulties of living with depression, anxiety or mood instability, we can sink into the revolving thought pattern that our mental health struggles make us unlovable and therefore we will fail at loving others: our spouses, our families, our friends. We fear failure and rejection, so we slowly start to close ourselves off to the very love that Jesus has for us.
~Grace Alliance
I have been there in that dark place many times, hopefully never again! If you are going through depression, the book, Hope Prevails by Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a very helpful book to read and hopefully will bring you some peace!!!
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