If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
I've come to realize that love is the most important thing. Those of us who know the bible, know that Jesus said to love one another, and that the most important thing, in addition to loving God, is to love each other. I think if we asked most people, they would say "Yes, I do that, I love people like God says to." But what did Jesus really mean when he said that? And why is love so important? It seems like a natural thing... to love.
So , try this....
Put your name where the word "love" is in this passage from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. Here's what it looks like for me......
Angie is patient and kind. Angie is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Angie does not demand her own way. Angie is not irritable, and she keeps no record of being wronged. Angie does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Angie never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
That's hard to read. Because it doesn't seem genuine. Because I'm not those things. Because the people in my life that are hard to love irritate me, and I do have a long list of the things they have done to me. And I often give up on them, and lose faith and throw my hands in the air and say "I'm DONE!". But that's not love.
Big light bulb for me. I have wrestled with this verse since I was about 20 years old and heard it read at a wedding. It has become a cliche for many people. "Love is patient and kind, blah, blah, blah." What an insult that is to God! I am sickened by the casual way we use this scripture. I am embarrassed that I have used this verse in careless ways myself.
My challenge is to live this verse out in my life. I challenge you to do the same... starting now.
So , try this....
Put your name where the word "love" is in this passage from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. Here's what it looks like for me......
Angie is patient and kind. Angie is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Angie does not demand her own way. Angie is not irritable, and she keeps no record of being wronged. Angie does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Angie never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
That's hard to read. Because it doesn't seem genuine. Because I'm not those things. Because the people in my life that are hard to love irritate me, and I do have a long list of the things they have done to me. And I often give up on them, and lose faith and throw my hands in the air and say "I'm DONE!". But that's not love.
Big light bulb for me. I have wrestled with this verse since I was about 20 years old and heard it read at a wedding. It has become a cliche for many people. "Love is patient and kind, blah, blah, blah." What an insult that is to God! I am sickened by the casual way we use this scripture. I am embarrassed that I have used this verse in careless ways myself.
My challenge is to live this verse out in my life. I challenge you to do the same... starting now.
No comments:
Post a Comment