Today is a bit of an expansion or part two of Day 245.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
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.
What is life without love? Is there any use of going through life without love? I’m going to answer these questions based on scripture, life is nothing without love. We gain nothing, it has no meaning. Going through life without love is essentially attempting to go through life without God. I love this scripture, it comes right before the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. However the passage we are focusing on today tells us that we can do great things in our lives and with our lives but if it is without love, it’s not worth anything. I think this is so important because we use so many things to try to take the place of the love we give others. Sometimes acts of love and actually loving someone are two completely different things. We do things for people to make it look like we love them. We can do great deeds for others, give everything up for them, but if it is not rooted in love, if we didn’t love people it would not matter. Sometimes these good deeds and great acts of kindness are to make ourselves feel and look better as opposed to the wellbeing of someone else. I’ve heard countless people who were born into wealthy families say, “I would give it all up, just to have a parent that truly loves me.” The thing I’m trying to get at here is, there is no substitution for love. We cannot replace it with anything else, no matter how expensive or how great the deed. Nothing beats love. Nothing.
We know that love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast, it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it’s own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but it rejoices in the truth. We know all of this, it’s written right there in the scripture (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) We know the definition of love but why do we love?
We love because without it we have nothing. Love is our very foundation seeing that God is love (1 John 4:8). Everything we are is built upon that truth. The scripture goes through a myriad of things telling us we can have it all but if we do not have love it is not worth it. “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.” Everything we do is rooted in love. If it’s not then what’s the point?
We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). We love because it is a command from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 22:37-39, Luke 10:27). We love because God is love, and if we want any part in Him we will dwell in love, because it is who He is. If we want to live like Christ and enter into the gates of heaven we will live and walk in love the same way He did.
We love because sometimes people will only ever experience true love through us. We love because our world is broken and corrupted and love covers the multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). We love because it is the one thing that can bring us all together as one body. That’s who we are, we are lovers of God, ourselves, and people. Everything we are and everything we do shall forever be rooted in God, meaning that it will be rooted in love.
Reflection
- Why do you love?
- Why do we love, as the body of Christ?
Prayer Time
Allow you answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Talk to God and have a conversation about what we discussed today. Whatever is on your heart, as HIm to search your heart and teach you how to love.
I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 249!
No comments:
Post a Comment