Christian Living
We’ve all said ‘I love you’ to someone at one point or the other. Personally, I started signing off most of my messages, excluding official ones with ‘Love Always ‘ many years ago….and I love it. But is writing ‘I love you’ or saying it endlessly to someone what love is all about?
Love is not this….
I believe that in many circumstances it takes boldness to say to another ‘I love you’ (not referring to men who use the phrase flippantly to woo women). And that bold step often sets us on a love path, many times, against our natural inclinations. Meaning that saying ‘I love you’ is not such a bad thing.
Another way people try to show love is through gifts. And truly when we love, we give. Giving is an expression of love. But giving in itself is not love anymore than mouthing ‘I love you’ is.
Love is not that….
Preaching, prophesying, walking in faith, praising in angelic tongues, dancing round the auditorium with clanging cymbals is Not love! ?.
Oh! I didn’t say it, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 did…
“And I will show you a more excellent way. If I speak in human or angelic tongues, 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.”
…………………………….
Wow!Really wow for me because; Faith is big and it’s spiritual, Prophecy is big and it’s spiritual, Giving (to God and others) is if you ask me, ‘overpreached’ in today’s Christianity, but it is big and spiritual.
The scripture we just read says if we did all this and that, and love not, we are wasting our time.
So what is love?
What is love?
That’s the exact same question I’d have thrown at Apostle Paul if he didn’t provide 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8.
According to Paul, love is reflected in how we RELATE with others, not just what we say to them, not how we do our faith walk or manifest gifts of the Spirit.
Love is choosing to be patient when dealing with people, love is being kind to someone whether they deserve it or not, love is rejoicing with a brother (your peer) who recently graced his garage with the same brand new car you’ve been admiring to have yourself instead of envying him.
Love is deciding to withhold details of a recent feat from someone who is incapable of handling the truth that things are actually going on well for you than it is for them.
Love is dealing with everyone with respect and honor irrespective of your position or status. Love is looking out for the good of all at all times. Love is giving people a benefit of the doubt.
Love is smelling evil from far and turning the opposite direction. Love is being protective of others. Love is enduring some level of discomfort to make another comfortable.
Love is hoping that indeed things will turn around for good for others, not wishing them bad.
Love is forgiving and keeping no record of it instead of setting a trap to catch someone who offended you (knowingly or unknowingly) several months ago and only burying the hatchet when you see them miserable (you satisfy self but then you may lose them).
You know the thing about love?, … people recognize it and respond to it, they do not need to be always told about it?
My first 2 kids are in their teen/preteen age and I can tell you I’ve had to come down really harder on them in recent times, but they’re never in doubt of my love.As at today, I am confident that my husband loves me, it will be nice to hear him say it more often (yeah) but even if he doesn’t, I know it.
Love is the force that pulls people, crowd, multitudes to us, not only because of spoken love but also in the sweet incense of love that permeates well beyond our spheres, in what people hear and know about us. Because love done right, NEVER fails.
Prophecy fades, tongues don’t go on endlessly, knowledge is not the exclusive preserve of a few anymore and in fact it can seize, …….because 1 Corinthians 13:8 says so:
“….but whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” NKJV.
The greatest Gift of the Spirit is Love.
Love never fails.
What’s the lesson for me?
You know God just has a way of sending us the right word in every circumstance. Really, this word hit me hard this morning because yesterday I held a ‘truth be told’ meeting with a colleague and I thought to declutter my heart. Only to pick up my Bible this morning and hear The Lord say to me, ‘Look Grace, that was not exactly bad, but you need to grow up’. Keeping a record of wrongs is not love, it is behaving like a child.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” (Verse 11).
Oh yes! blogging has shown me that I am introspective; I look inwards too ? and so I can share my inadequacies even as I draw strength from them by continually renewing my mind with the Word.
I love how Apostle Paul puts it;
“….Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV.
So what is your definition of LOVE?
My prayer:
May I become All of Christ and nothing about me.
