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. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
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; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (ESV)
I remember completing an assignment in school where I would have to match a definition with the corresponding word. I would have to complete the sentences by filling in the blank, using words listed at the top of the page. One by one, I would choose from the list until all the blanks were filled and all the words had been used.
My grade on this assignment was based on how well I matched the word with the definition. If I used the wrong word to fill in the blank, it was marked incorrect, because the word was not correctly defined.
The scripture reminds us about the value and importance of love. Regardless of our material possessions, spiritual gifts, and good works; if we don't have love, we are bankrupt.
If we compare ourselves to another person, we can be guilty of incorrectly believing that we are living the most accurate representation of love.
" Compared to ______I'm definitely a loving person."
" I'm nicer than _______"
" I do more than_______"
However, the best way to demonstrate love correctly, is not to compare ourselves to others, but to scripture.
The best way to align our actions with scripture, is to complete a familiar assignment.
You guessed it, fill in the blank!
The only difference in this assignment is that there is only one word listed to fill in the blanks.
That one word is.....our name.
Let's do it together.
Let's use our name to fill in the blanks below.
_______ is patient and kind; _______ does not envy or boast; ______ is not arrogant or rude. _______ does not insist on its own way; ________is not irritable or resentful; _______ does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but _______ rejoices with the truth. ______ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13 is the standard of what love looks like.
Regardless of the situation.
Regardless of the behavior of the recipient.
Even if the love is not returned.
1 Corinthians defines love, and there are no exceptions.
The truth is that life is filled with relationships of all kinds.
Relationships that are easy, relationships that are complex, and everything in between.
There are relationships that are easier to demonstrate love in than others.
The truth is..it doesn't matter.
As a Christian, it doesn't matter if the relationship is easy or hard.
Love God's way, is the only currency for how we relate to people.
We don't owe man retaliation, we only owe love.
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
Romans 13:8
Dear God,
Forgive us if we have measured our demonstration of love by comparing ourselves to others. Thank you for your unending, unfailing, matchless love toward us. From this day forward, help us to remember to fill in the blank, so we can live the love written in 1 Corinthians 13.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
For Reflection
When is a time that I remember God loving me in the way described in 1 Corinthians 13?
What opportunities are present in my life to demonstrate love according to 1 Corinthians 13?
Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
Romans 13:8
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