If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Love is a subject that has been written about for centuries. As a people, we are in love with love, or at least, with the idea or notion of love.
This past year has been hard, and one of the hardest parts for me has been love. This past year has caused me to examine how, what, and why I love, almost daily. It has tested relationships and revealed areas of both abundance and need.
As we take a look at the topic of love this month, I would like us to settle in and examine an often used passage on the topic of love. We will be looking at 1 Corinthians 13 this month and taking things a section at a time to ask God what He would have us to learn about the topic during this unique time in our history.
This week we will look at verses 1-3.
After reading this small section it becomes evident that good deeds can be divorced from love. Just because “good” things happen does not mean that love is present or was it the motivation for them.
I have seen this to be true in my life. If love is not the fuel in the tank, then the car isn’t getting very far down the road.
These challenging times have caused us to move beyond our limits. What “good actions” we previously could have bluffed or done devoid of love, have now been revealed. Chances are if you are doing something these days, your heart has to be engaged.
Take some time to stop and reflect.
As the pandemic has continued, what has it revealed about the motivation of your actions?
Are they more pure? Less?
Think through some examples of times you have seen “good actions” that were devoid of love – either in your life or in others. What made this evident?
What difference would it have made if love would have been present?
