Typical Roof in Nicaragua
Over the next few weeks, I want us to think about how we men can help construct the best home possible. Now, I don’t mean to actually build your own home from foundation up (although a good number of you have). What I am talking about is constructing the type of family God desires for us to have. See, God didn’t just randomly decide for there to be families. He created the family so that all members of a family would benefit from being part of it. As husbands, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, etc., our calling is to follow God’s instructions to build the best home possible. Two weeks ago, I wrote about how God needs to be the very foundation of our family. This week, I want us to think about the roof of our home: God’s love.
One of the most famous passages on love occurs in 1 Corinthians 13. This is one of those passages that we have heard so many times, especially at weddings, that I think we often fail to understand its meaning.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Do you see some common themes emerge from this passage? Two big ones I see is that love is not about us and love makes other people better. We love others not because of what we want to get out of the relationship, but because we want to put something valuable into the relationship. The love Paul is talking about is the same sort of love Jesus demonstrated to us on the Cross. It is a love that requires sacrifice in order to bless and improve others.
Think again about a roof. A roof gets few, if any, rewards. It gets beaten by the hot sun, cracked by the bitter cold, pounded by rain, damaged by hail, etc. A roof constantly sacrifices its well being in order to protect those underneath it. That is the type of love we need to demonstrate in our families. We need to be willing to make sacrifices to make them better. We need to point them towards God’s love and model that love in all of our interactions. We need to stop worrying so much about ourselves, and instead focus on improving the lives of those God has entrusted us with: our family.
