1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 (NKJV)
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
What a challenge to us all as we read these verses of Scripture. Here we are reminded that love is the overriding attribute of our heavenly Father. He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. It is the greatest gift that he has given us and He wants us to give to others. He wants us to have and walk in His same kind of love.
Here we are reminded that walking in love towards others far surpasses whatever gifts we have or exhibit. It far surpasses whatever goodness and mercy we show to others. These things are great but if they are not done with the love of God in our hearts towards people, they become empty and of no value.
These verses go on to describe what love really. What this love should look like in our lives on a day to day basis. This love suffers long, it is kind, it is not envious, it does not show off, it is not rude, it is not concerned only for self, it is not pushed to do evil, it does not think evil thoughts, it’s not happy with sin, it is glad to hear the truth etc. What an amazing thing it is to love like this!!! How different our world will be if we allow God’s love to shine through us. The truth though, is we can’t manufacture this love no matter how much we try in our own strength. It is supernatural and produced only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. It is not by power or by might.
So my dear sisters, why not let us begin to co-operate more with the Holy Spirit as He works in us to produce God’s kind of love – Agape. Holy Spirit we open our hearts and lives to you this week and pray that the love of the Father shed abroad in our hearts, will grow and grow and be displayed to all around us in Jesus name. Amen.