“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
…Since you have in obedience to the
truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love
one another from the heart, I
Peter 1:22
Dear Believers in our Lord Jesus, Savior and Creator,
Spiritual gifts , no matter how
exciting… are useless and even destructive if they are not ministered in love.
The main evidence of maturing in our faith is a growing love for God and God’s
people. ww
As I read a familiar portion of
scripture, the words condensed into this thought: “All or Nothing!” The
word ‘all’ is used 8x in I Corinthians 13 and the word ‘nothing’ is used 2x and
inferred 2x. The word Love is used 9x and inferred 2x. Verses one to three
conclude that without love we are
noisy gongs or clanging symbols and profit nothing, by all our attention-getting
activity. Such grandiose statements as moving mountains, giving away all one’s
possessions to feed the poor and surrendering your body to be burned! Are followed
by a conclusion so divine, it boggles the mind. It hit me anew… No matter how great my sacrificial act is,
if I did not act out of Love, “I am
nothing.” Hear this as if you have never heard it before and read it
again.
“The only thing that counts is faith
expressing itself in love.” Galatians 5:6 niv
This famous love-chapter of I Corinthians, then
states what love is, thereby stating what Love is not. Love is patient; so
therefore love is not impatient. Love is kind, so it is not unkind. Love does
not brag and is not prideful, but humble. Love does not act
unbecomingly; so love acts in a way that is respectable, proper and decorous.
Love is not self-seeking, but puts others interests first. And amazingly it
does not keep track of the wrong suffered from others. It does not rejoice in
evil of any kind but rejoices in truth; Love bears all things, Love believes
all things, Love hopes all things and Love endures all things. Love endures
because it trusts the Lover by faith. There is no unbelief in love! We cannot understand all that happens on
this earthly journey, for it is like looking through a glass darkly, all is unclear and blurred.
While reading this chapter a storm moved in with
pelting rain and deepening darkness. It became as dark as night. I looked out
the window to check on the flowers I had planted that morning, uncertain how
much rain they could tolerate. I could not see out clearly enough to ascertain anything.
The next morning I went out into the full light of day to see how they fared.
No longer looking through a glass darkly, no longer muted colors, but beautiful
flowers.
I saw in this a picture of how we see life here; trying
hard to understand what and why God does what He does in our life. It is through
a glass darkly that we peer. But endure my sisters and brothers, endure, for a
new day is coming. A day of full Light, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more
death, no sickness. No separation from loved ones and no more daily struggles.
Full Light, with Love so bright only a new spiritual body could withstand
the Presence of the Holy God!
WARNING: A life
of love requires ‘dying daily’ to self and sin and then see yourself, risen with Christ!
Our
Christian life is ‘all’ or ‘nothing’.
Whatever we do in our strength no matter how great the
sacrifice, is less than nothing unless Jesus Christ does it through us, for then it is done in love, by the power of His
Spirit. He cannot do anything except love because Love is who He is. I am
especially thankful for two things that touch my heart deep:
1. I am so precious
to Him, He only acts in love toward me. Such Love took Him to the Cross and He
became sin for me, He who knew no sin!
2.
God is working
all things for my good, because He is Love. The ‘good’ He is working in me, is
the likeness of Christ!! Only then can all I do, be done in Love. He is my
Rock, my Rescue, my Refuge. My feet are dancing.
If we are anywhere but in the Love of
God we drift apart. ac
Oh how I desire to live a life of Love that would
make a difference for eternity. Only God can hold me in His love so that He
can love the unlovely and the down right ugly and mean spirited through me.
THE WAY THE
WORLD LOVES:
Do not love
the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful
pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
I John 2:15-17
Father of Love, You who love the ugly
and vile and even us, I bow in awe and wonder at such love. Love so powerful it
will carry us home. Love so powerful these earthly bodies could not tolerate
it’s full presence and still breathe! We want to make a difference in this
life, before You call us to dwell in Your ’Light’, (which is so profoundly
glorious we have no words to describe it accurately.) Thank You for loving us
into sanity, strength, hope, rest and a peace that is heavenly. Help us to want
Your will more than our own way so we will be willing to reckon ourselves dead
to sin and alive with Christ each day, every day. I pray for my brothers and
sisters to live for You at any cost. And strengthen with endurance those who
are suffering for Your name, even now today. O God, have mercy and be their
comfort and living Hope. In Your Holy name I pray amen.
Come soon Lord Jesus!
All or nothing,
much love, az
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