Unconditional Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called--that you might inherit a blessing.

For Reflection & Sharing:

1. Is the kind of love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 realistic?

2. Contrast this unconditional love of God to our self-centered "loving."

3. What would our relationships look like if they were characterized by this kind of love?

4. How is this kind of loving actually possible in our lives?

5. How are suffering, endurance, character and hope related to this kind of love?

6. Describe a healthy self-love.

7. How does God's love deal with abuse in relationships?

8. In what way does honesty and love go together in a relationship?