My chapter for today's devotions is what is commonly referred to as 'the love chapter'.
"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.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
The words of the chapter smack me right in the face. I think I am loving, but I don't come close to the standard of love expressed here. These aren't just 'feel good words' for wedding ceremonies - these words cut to the core of our relationships with God and others. They set a standard. I don't measure up - but 1 Corinthians 13 makes it clear what the goal is!
I know that I can never reach that goal without Jesus' love. This chapter delineates a whole list of things I need to work on being better at - but I know I can't do it on my own. We are saved and being saved. There is an initial step of acceptance wherein we are 'saved from sin' and begin a new life; but when we are intentional in our walk with the Lord, we are being saved daily - line on line, precept on precept, growing in God's amazing love and grace.
Sometimes growing brings growing pains. It is part of the journey to maturity in Christ.
Under my potpourri section for today:
Because of some recent circumstances, I am reminded of the verse that states, "Do not be weary in well doing." We wouldn't be warned against becoming weary in well doing if it wasn't a risk.
There are times of disappointment when we are tempted to succumb to that weariness and withdraw - but we don't do what we do to be approved by others. We do what we do to be approved by God. Our instruction is not to become weary in doing good. There are days - and even seasons of our lives - when we are disappointed by what life brings our way. It is then that we need this chapter and the reminder that love is a choice. Love is demonstrated by action, not feelings.
In those moments I am reminded:
Love anyway.
Do unto others as you wish they would do unto you!
Keep on keeping on!
The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
What a worthy goal!
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