"Love Bears the Load"
Love does a lot of heavy lifting. I was reading this morning about the amount the baby-boomer generation is sacrificing to care for sick and infirm parents and older relatives. In financial terms alone through forfeited income, early retirement, lowered pension and social security benefits, and out of pocket expenses the cost is quite significant, averaging in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The article went on to describe the toll on the caregivers physically in some detail as well. Beyond the financial and physical cost is the emotional and psychological stress care giving exacts. But this is just one illustration of love's heavy lifting. There are countless others. That's because by its' nature love is giving. Love that is not prepared or willing to bear another's burden is not really love.
The Greek word "Steg", translated "Bear" in 1 Corinthians 13:7 ["Love bears all things"] also means "To roof over".
Love "roofs over". What might that mean? First of all, it indicates love must have structure. A roof doesn't just hang in the air. A roof is supported by structure, by walls. The walls take time to build, and love takes time to grow sturdy enough to "bear" another's burden. In construction the walls upon which the roof is set are referred to as "load bearing" walls. Our love must be of "load bearing" quality.
A little deeper digging reveals that the idea being expressed here by "Steg" is "to roof over with silence." Love bears by covering the one loved, even with silence when necessary. This harkens back to what we learned about love not being easily provoked, and not keeping score of wrongs suffered. Love that bears is ready to cover the shortcomings of the person loved. Love is also ready to not make an issue of not being reciprocated. That is another way love "roofs over"; treating others the way it would like to be treated, even when they don't.
A final sense of the word "Steg" is the idea that love "Bears up under". A person walking in love is prepared to bear up under pressures that will test that love, or stretch it. Forbearance and longsuffering are two essentials character qualities of the person walking in love.
Love is ready to carry the burden of another, "roof over" with silence another's short comings, or not being treated in kind, and "bear up under", the pressures against such love being displayed. It's quite a tall order fellow Mountain Taker. Aren't you glad we aren't on our own?! No wonder love is such a strong demonstration of the Kingdom of God. It's His nature displayed!
Love does a lot of heavy lifting. I was reading this morning about the amount the baby-boomer generation is sacrificing to care for sick and infirm parents and older relatives. In financial terms alone through forfeited income, early retirement, lowered pension and social security benefits, and out of pocket expenses the cost is quite significant, averaging in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The article went on to describe the toll on the caregivers physically in some detail as well. Beyond the financial and physical cost is the emotional and psychological stress care giving exacts. But this is just one illustration of love's heavy lifting. There are countless others. That's because by its' nature love is giving. Love that is not prepared or willing to bear another's burden is not really love.
The Greek word "Steg", translated "Bear" in 1 Corinthians 13:7 ["Love bears all things"] also means "To roof over".
Love "roofs over". What might that mean? First of all, it indicates love must have structure. A roof doesn't just hang in the air. A roof is supported by structure, by walls. The walls take time to build, and love takes time to grow sturdy enough to "bear" another's burden. In construction the walls upon which the roof is set are referred to as "load bearing" walls. Our love must be of "load bearing" quality.
A little deeper digging reveals that the idea being expressed here by "Steg" is "to roof over with silence." Love bears by covering the one loved, even with silence when necessary. This harkens back to what we learned about love not being easily provoked, and not keeping score of wrongs suffered. Love that bears is ready to cover the shortcomings of the person loved. Love is also ready to not make an issue of not being reciprocated. That is another way love "roofs over"; treating others the way it would like to be treated, even when they don't.
A final sense of the word "Steg" is the idea that love "Bears up under". A person walking in love is prepared to bear up under pressures that will test that love, or stretch it. Forbearance and longsuffering are two essentials character qualities of the person walking in love.
Love is ready to carry the burden of another, "roof over" with silence another's short comings, or not being treated in kind, and "bear up under", the pressures against such love being displayed. It's quite a tall order fellow Mountain Taker. Aren't you glad we aren't on our own?! No wonder love is such a strong demonstration of the Kingdom of God. It's His nature displayed!
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