'Pursue love'

Those two words set me free (1 Corinthian 14:1). It is freeing to be told-by God himself-that it is OK to "pursue" some spiritual quality. In these two words I am given permission to go after virtue and a new Christ-conformed character.

To my joy, I am disabused of the view that I must be passive until such time as the Holy Spirit is pleased to produce love in me-maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe only at the end of my life. No, I am told to "pursue love." The Holy Spirit is already in me, so what am I waiting for! I would be as foolhardy as the person who has just been told he has a new engine in his car, but rather than turning the key in the ignition, he just sits there wondering if it's true. As Paul said, with some exasperation: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you? (1 Corinthians 6:19). Get on with it, Corinthians! Here are five things you need to change immediately! And while you're at it, "pursue love."

The pursuit is not a being tossed out to sea without a compass. Paul tells us exactly how to identify the thing we are looking for. It is "patient," "kind," "not rude," "not covetous" (1 Corinthians 13). Imitate that (1 Corinthians 11:1). Hop to it.

Pursuit is done in at least two ways-by prayer and by the conscious, moment-by-moment emulation of the qualities desired. We plead with God because He is the one who produces these traits in us. We walk around in the traits as best we can, because He tells us to (Colossians 3:12)-though at the beginning they may feel like an ill-fitting suit of clothes. Practice makes perfect (Hebrews 5:12-14). Do you know someone whom you would like to be like? Someone who is full of love and does loving things? Pray to be like that person, and have at it. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:23).

Listen to commentaries by Andrée Seu.