This weekend at Harvest, we are looking toward the homestead as we examine Colossians 3:18-21. As you prepare to receive the Word, as the Lord tells us to (James 1:21), here is a quick test for husbands and wives.

Men, do you love your wives? Ladies, do you love your husbands? Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God, and 1 John 4:8 tells us God is love. So if we are imitators of God, we will see His love in us, right?

What does love look like? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says:

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.

So here is the test: If you put your name in place of the word / pronoun / implied love, would the passage make sense? Would it read true?

Go slow, do one at a time and really examine yourself. Try it, your name goes in the blank:

________ is patient.

________ is kind.

________ does not envy.

________ does not boast.

________ is not arrogant.

________ is not rude.

________ does not insist on getting his/her own way.

________ is not irritable.

________ is not resentful.

________ does not rejoice at wrongdoing.

________ rejoices with the truth.

________ bears all things.

________ believes all things.

________ hopes all things.

________ endures all things.

How did you do? I am sure we all see areas where the Lord, by His grace, is still growing us! And let's be thankful that He is going to finish what He started in us...

p.s. - do polar bears hibernate during the summer?