"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away."
Those who enjoy history respect the achievements of the past, considering the effects and implications the past has on us today. But historians don’t care about everything that ever happened. They won’t be clamoring to soak up the minutia of my blogs nor do they care much about my extended family. Likewise, when eternity comes, there will be some things that abide and some things that will fall from our consideration as dust falls from a piece of clothing once shaken before entering a house.
When this world is not as it is now, when we have left the realm of the temporal and entered the eternal, love will still remain. God’s choice to love is what brought Christ to earth to die. And His love shall endure throughout all eternity.
When eternity comes, your advancement and influence will be gone forever. But love will never end. What is most important to you know: clout, wealth, personal achievement, or distinction? Or are your desires and priorities eternal in nature? If you value eternity, love should motivate all your actions.
Monday, May 19, 2008
1 Corinthians 13:6-7
"It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Some in the world rejoice at wrongdoing because they want to see evil triumph. No true Christian desires this. But how would you react if you knew that your pastor or some other prominent church member was wrongly accused of something? Would you rejoice at your newfound opportunity for personal advancement? If so, you do not love him as you should and are worthless. You should rejoice that the truth is known, regardless of the effect it has on your personal aspirations.
Neither should you wait with eager anticipation for that truthful accusation of someone else that will propel you forward. Real problems need to be addressed and dealt with, but we shouldn’t ever want to see someone fall. We should love others so much that we are willing to suffer wrong, enduring it, hoping and believing that the people who wrong us are growing and will realize their error. All the while we are patient and kind, loving them in every way possible.
My mother is a wonderful example of this to me. When she was helping someone who was making some selfish and self-destructive choices, I encouraged her to cut the person off. I will never forget my mother’s response. She said “I just thought that (s)he would make the right choice this time.” At the time, I thought “How foolish. That person is never going to make the right choice.” Now I think, “How loving. My mother saw bore and endured many things from that person, hoping and believing that (s)he would come to walk in the truth.”
Some in the world rejoice at wrongdoing because they want to see evil triumph. No true Christian desires this. But how would you react if you knew that your pastor or some other prominent church member was wrongly accused of something? Would you rejoice at your newfound opportunity for personal advancement? If so, you do not love him as you should and are worthless. You should rejoice that the truth is known, regardless of the effect it has on your personal aspirations.
Neither should you wait with eager anticipation for that truthful accusation of someone else that will propel you forward. Real problems need to be addressed and dealt with, but we shouldn’t ever want to see someone fall. We should love others so much that we are willing to suffer wrong, enduring it, hoping and believing that the people who wrong us are growing and will realize their error. All the while we are patient and kind, loving them in every way possible.
My mother is a wonderful example of this to me. When she was helping someone who was making some selfish and self-destructive choices, I encouraged her to cut the person off. I will never forget my mother’s response. She said “I just thought that (s)he would make the right choice this time.” At the time, I thought “How foolish. That person is never going to make the right choice.” Now I think, “How loving. My mother saw bore and endured many things from that person, hoping and believing that (s)he would come to walk in the truth.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
"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."
These verses have broad, sweeping implications for the lives of all believers. However, remembering that the larger context of this chapter is the subject of spiritual gifts helps us apply these verses in a few specific ways.
We are all equal in God’s sight, but we are not equal in each other’s sight. Though there are no more important spiritual gifts, some people are more clearly gifted or perhaps gifted in more ways than others.
We should love those who seem to be more gifted than we are. You may look at a clearly gifted individual and wish that you had his gifts. You may treat him rudely because you wish you had the gifts that he has. You are resentful, and you are failing to love. You should rejoice and give thanks that God has so gifted your brother.
We should also love those who seem to be less gifted than we are. You may be quite happy with the gifts God has given you, but you may think of other believers as inferior because of what they don’t have. Perhaps you are short tempered when dealing with people who can’t do what you do or can’t do it as quickly. Perhaps you aren’t willing to consider other people’s opinions because you think that your way is always better or that they couldn’t possibly come up with a good idea. Perhaps you are irritable because you always have to deal with what you view as other people’s incompetence. You are have an over-inflated view of yourself, and you are failing to love.
These verses have broad, sweeping implications for the lives of all believers. However, remembering that the larger context of this chapter is the subject of spiritual gifts helps us apply these verses in a few specific ways.
We are all equal in God’s sight, but we are not equal in each other’s sight. Though there are no more important spiritual gifts, some people are more clearly gifted or perhaps gifted in more ways than others.
We should love those who seem to be more gifted than we are. You may look at a clearly gifted individual and wish that you had his gifts. You may treat him rudely because you wish you had the gifts that he has. You are resentful, and you are failing to love. You should rejoice and give thanks that God has so gifted your brother.
We should also love those who seem to be less gifted than we are. You may be quite happy with the gifts God has given you, but you may think of other believers as inferior because of what they don’t have. Perhaps you are short tempered when dealing with people who can’t do what you do or can’t do it as quickly. Perhaps you aren’t willing to consider other people’s opinions because you think that your way is always better or that they couldn’t possibly come up with a good idea. Perhaps you are irritable because you always have to deal with what you view as other people’s incompetence. You are have an over-inflated view of yourself, and you are failing to love.
Monday, May 5, 2008
1 Corinthians 13:3
"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."
God is not interested in disinterested benevolence. Actions alone are incomplete, they need to be based on right motivations. The greatest of sacrifices are hollow without love. What would be your motivation to sacrifice if it were not love? You might be motivated by a desire to be repaid for your sacrifice, a desire to be thought well of by other people, or a desire to simply end you life. All of these reasons are selfish, and selfish sacrifice does not honor the Lord. There are good reasons to sacrifice, in addition to love. But if these reasons are devoid of love, they will not honor the Lord.
God is not interested in disinterested benevolence. Actions alone are incomplete, they need to be based on right motivations. The greatest of sacrifices are hollow without love. What would be your motivation to sacrifice if it were not love? You might be motivated by a desire to be repaid for your sacrifice, a desire to be thought well of by other people, or a desire to simply end you life. All of these reasons are selfish, and selfish sacrifice does not honor the Lord. There are good reasons to sacrifice, in addition to love. But if these reasons are devoid of love, they will not honor the Lord.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
1 Corinthians 13:1-2
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
Love is the more excellent way that the last chapter alluded to. Love is more important than any or all of the spiritual gifts that the Corinthian believers has clamored for. People in the church then and now foolishly want recognition, prominence, and influence, and they earnestly desire spiritual gifts that will give them these things. But if they wanted what God wants for them, they would desire love and not a more important position.
Any spiritual gift exercised without love is worthless. We give lip service to this truth but we fail to understand the depth of this reality. A pastor who preaches faithfully for thirty-five years, never committing a moral sin or violating any code of ethics, if he did not love his people, his ministry was nothing. A seminary professor who has unpacked weighty truths and prepared countless students to accurately handle God’s word, if his teaching was not motivated by love, it was a waste of his time. A Christian (perhaps a missionary like me) who sees God’s power and faithfulness in life and comes to understand God’s trustworthiness, trusting that he can do anything, if his faith is loveless, he is nothing.
While we know that these things are true, there is something in us that still objects: they helped so many people; they did many great things; they were faithful for so many years. Yes, but they left off the greatest thing. It is love that empowers ministry and gives it meaning. If I am going to do something of value, I must first learn what it means to love.
Love is the more excellent way that the last chapter alluded to. Love is more important than any or all of the spiritual gifts that the Corinthian believers has clamored for. People in the church then and now foolishly want recognition, prominence, and influence, and they earnestly desire spiritual gifts that will give them these things. But if they wanted what God wants for them, they would desire love and not a more important position.
Any spiritual gift exercised without love is worthless. We give lip service to this truth but we fail to understand the depth of this reality. A pastor who preaches faithfully for thirty-five years, never committing a moral sin or violating any code of ethics, if he did not love his people, his ministry was nothing. A seminary professor who has unpacked weighty truths and prepared countless students to accurately handle God’s word, if his teaching was not motivated by love, it was a waste of his time. A Christian (perhaps a missionary like me) who sees God’s power and faithfulness in life and comes to understand God’s trustworthiness, trusting that he can do anything, if his faith is loveless, he is nothing.
While we know that these things are true, there is something in us that still objects: they helped so many people; they did many great things; they were faithful for so many years. Yes, but they left off the greatest thing. It is love that empowers ministry and gives it meaning. If I am going to do something of value, I must first learn what it means to love.
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