Reading: When time is short, you get focused. In baseball, when you have two strikes at the plate, you simplify. Your two-strike approach may be different from the next guy, but we are all similar in that with two strikes, our approachs change. You may shorten your stride or choke up. You have to expand the zone and protect the plate. Your goals even change with two strikes. You think, ‘I’ll just need to put the ball in play and make the other team field it.’ The bottom line is you get more focused because you are down to your last strike. The end of your at bat is near and so you operate differently. 

The same is true for our spiritual life. Since the end of all things in near, the church is surrounded by the world trying to strike us out. Ungodliness taunts and persecutes the church at every turn. Peter, here in this letter, is our coach teaching us how to persevere until the end.  

Yesterday, we read that he wants us to pray. Today, he tells us to love each other deeply without complaining. What is interesting about this command is that it follows this short but powerful phrase - “above all”. Peter is saying the most important thing the church can do is to love each other. We believe Peter probably had his conversation with Jesus (in John 13) in mind, when Jesus said ,“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). 

Paul was on the same page with Peter when he commanded the church in Colossae to “put on love” over every other virtue. He said, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:13-14).

So, the two-part question we should ask is “what is love and what does it look like?” Let’s look at two texts that can help us apply this command. First, let’s look at a more general principal and then a very practical one. 1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” We cannot even understand how to love if we have not experienced the selfless love of Christ. The general principal for us here is to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Paul gets really practical and specific about what love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4:7, “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 trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Meditate on these verses and examine your life to see where you have been unloving! Fight for love because “love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Reflection: Replace the word “love” in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 with your name. It may sound silly, but is it true? When you put your name in, do the statements reflect who you are? Are you patient, kind, not envious, etc?

________________ is patient, ________________ is kind. ________________ does not envy,  ________________ does not boast,  ________________ is not proud.  ________________ does not dishonor others,  ________________ is not self-seeking,  ________________ is not easily angered,  ________________ keeps no record of wrongs. ________________ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  ________________ always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Prayer Prompt: Lord, thank you for your love and your example of love in Jesus. Thank you for those who have loved me in your name. Help me to love like you.