7 Big, Short Verses About Love: “Let all you do be done in love” (1Cor16:14). “Love never fails” (1Cor.13:8). “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love” (Gal.5:6). “We love because he first loved us” (1Jn.4:19). “Your love is better than life” (Ps.63:3). “Perfect love casts out—drives away, expels, banishes fear” (1Jn.4:18). “Above all, keep loving…” (1Pet.4:8).
Dear Jesus, since 7 is a number of perfection, these 7 verses about love perfectly give us what we need as we begin our workweek. Over the course of the next 5 days some of us will face outcomes we can’t control, people we wish we could, situations that cause us fear, and stories that increase our stress.
You promise sufficient grace (2Cor.12:9), words needful for the moment (Mk.13:11), and your abiding presence (Matt.28:20). Thank you, Jesus. We gladly welcome all three. By the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us these next 5 days to repay arrogance with humility, indifference with engagement, harshness with kindness, and unreasonableness with “sweet reasonableness” (epieikēs).” (Phil.4:5)
Jesus, you haven’t called us to be doormats, but you have called us to be foot washers. We are most like you when we have a servant’s towel in our hand, not harmful words in our mouths. May your incomparable, unwavering, tender love compel, change, and free us. Your love will never fail—meaning it will never run out or betray us. We love you—and anyone else, because you first loved us, still love us, and will love us Home. Thank you, and So Very Amen.
