Friday, October 23, 2015

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in tongues but don't have a loving heart, I am just a squeaky brake.  If I know all about the book of Revelation, if I have great faith, but am full of myself, I am nothing.  If I run a good business and provide for my family but have not love, I gain nothing.  If I go to church but ignore my selfish behavior, if I am married but do not pour myself into my spouse, if I insist that I am right but do not read what others think, if I do the right thing but hurt people along the way, I am missing the point.

Love.  It is the more excellent way.  Everything else that we call spiritual or important pales in comparison to love.  Without love we are fooling ourselves.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not want more, it does not want what others have, it does not need a new car or a bigger house.  I is not a bragger, it never blows its own horn.  It does not hurt others, it takes a fearless moral inventory from time to time to make sure that it is not self seeking.  It learns to control its anger.  It walks away to cool off rather than explode at someone.  It not only forgives, but it no longer keeps track of who did what to me.  It never celebrates evil, but it celebrates the truth.

It is dependable.  It keeps coming around.  It always protects.  It covers others faults.  It always sees the good in others.  It always hopes for a better day.  It sticks around til the very end.

Love never fails.  Every other method of living will fail.  No big house, no fancy car, no plastic surgery can replace love.  There is nothing like it in all the world.

All of our religious language will come to naught, our doctrine will be shot full of holes, our insistence that we are right will vanish.  But love will remain, for God is love.

May we spend more of our time investing in that which is important and being God's vehicles of love. Love is not just the most excellent way, ultimately, it is the only thing that really counts in this life.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.


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