Searching for our tree of life

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

 ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

 ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

 ⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 ⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 ⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 ⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 ⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

 ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

 ¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

 ¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

 ¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

 ¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I know we've all read this passage in the Bible. I know we all believe we should love our neighbor. This passage explains what kind of love that should be. Being kind, not envying someone when they are blessed and we are not, not being easily provoked to anger, not thinking evil of anyone. Not being proud or boastful, enduring through everything with someone. When I heard these words read last night I felt really convicted. Yes, many times we say we "love" someone, but is it a biblical love? Do we go out of our way to love someone who may not be so easy to love? Biblical love is hard, it goes against everything my flesh wants to do. Biblical love is not something that we can manufacture on our own. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and being sensitive to his leading is the only way we can truly love anyone. So many times in my life I get too busy, or too frazzled or too comfortable to really go out of my way to love someone. I am glad to be reminded that faith, hope and love abide in every saved person. My desire is that the love of Christ will be evident to everyone I meet, not just those who attend church with me or those who know I'm a christian