Verse Highlight: 1 Corinthians 13:7 “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (NASB)

New Living Translation: “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 

The Passion Translation: “Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.”

Dear Moms,

1 Corinthians 13 gives us quite a list about love. It’s kind of like a recipe. These things make up love. And, like most recipes, all of the ingredients are important! If you take one out or try and substitute it for something else, the end product won’t be quite the same. It won’t be as good. All the ingredients are important, but perhaps the one that amazes me the most is the one above. I wonder how many of the other ingredients flow from it. 

Belief indicates trust. It is about having confidence in something in such a way that you place trust in them. This kind of belief is not a mild “this could happen”. It isn’t an idle hope. 

Think for a moment of the people in your life that have believed in you—truly believed. These type of people tend to be rare. I had a teacher once that saw more in me than I saw in myself & took the time to speak to me about the possibilities for my future. She spoke in a “if you pursue this, you will be successful” type of a way. Not a “maybe or could”. Jamey & I have had the amazing privilege of having older people come into our lives in a similar way at various times in our life. They would encourage us and add strength to us by the faith they placed in us. This is a remarkable thing! It marks you and changes you.

Do you know that the Lord looks at you & believes in you? Think about this: the Lord loves your children. He created them. They are, in fact, His children. Yet—He gave them to you!

On occasion, I have left my kids with others while Jamey & I have been out of town. It is always a difficult process. Even though we have amazing people in our life—that love our kids & I know will do great with them—it just isn’t the same. Eight kids (well, less that need watching now) is a lot to manage. Bed times & meals & routines—there are a lot of details! What happens if they get sick? Or something happens? It can be stressful!

In fact, there are many more opportunities to go than Jamey & I take simply because it is so costly to leave. Yet, the Lord willingly gave us His kids! 

He trusts us to take care of them. To love them. To nurture them. To teach them & guide them. He trusts us to lead them to Him. This must mean that He sees more in us than we often see in ourselves. 

God isn’t reluctant with you. He wholeheartedly believes in you. He is with you on your journey, equipping & teaching you—correcting when needed—but mostly? Mostly, I think, He is cheering you on. If you listen, you can hear Him.

The Lord trusts you, so you should believe the best in yourself too! And, you should trust Him, too. Trust that He is with you. Trust that He knew what He was doing when He created you. And, trust that it was not an accident when He gave you His children to be yours. 

“Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.” Let the Lord’s love be your safe shelter. As you do, you will become a safe shelter for your kids (and others!) too.

Action Step: Train your brain! It may seem silly, but I want you to repeat the following words to yourself, “The Lord loves me. I am His beloved. He knows me, trusts me & believes the best in me. He is with each moment of the journey. I can trust Him & believe the best about myself, my life, and my future.”

The Lord is cheering you on, and so am I! May you encounter the Lord & His love for you this week bringing healing, refreshment, and great joy.