Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard: What's love got to do with it? Part 1

Thursday 30 April 2020

What's love got to do with it? Part 1

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. (4) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ((5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; (7) bears all things , believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (8) Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:1-8. NKJV

Shortly after Jesus had predicted His death, a dispute arose between the disciples about who would be the greatest. They appeared to believe that Jesus had favourites and that one of them would be the leader when He had died. They were so wrong. (Luke 9:46).

When someone outshines us, it can cause us envy and jealousy. This can lead to rivalry. We have to keep our hearts in check. Love must be uppermost amongst us. Without love, whatever we say, do or preach is like a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. It becomes like an empty corridor, where it is a noisy echo that serves no purpose except to point to hypocrisy. (v1)

A person can have the most amazing faith - faith that can move mountains (v2). However, this act is totally empty without love. All it does, is point to the person's self esteem and ambition. We can give food and clothing to the poor (v3) and we can also give generously to all of the charities, but if it is not from a heart of love, that clanging cymbal starts up again. It just profits nothing.

Dwight L Moody wrote:

'If we love a person, we won't be pointing out his failures all the time'

And it is so true. We can so easily become engulfed in dragging someone down because we don't agree with how they do things. Love is never rude. (5). Never! It never puts itself first. It doesn't parade itself by shouting, 'Hey, look at me. Wasn't that an amazing sermon that I just preached.' Love never becomes puffed up.

Dare to ask yourself this question:

'Are my motives designed to reflect the love of God or to look good myself?'

Selfish ambition will never work in the Kingdom of God. It is the loudest of clanging cymbals.

We'll look a little deeper into 'Love', tomorrow.