Two-minute read.
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.
1 Corinthians 13:2
Nothing without love.
Driving home his point, Paul emphasizes the importance of love. The religious leaders of the day knew the scriptures and could speak with authority, but if their words didn’t come from a place of love, they meant nothing. Even if the Pharisees knew all God’s mysteries and knowledge and had faith but not love, it meant nothing. Love binds us to God, nothing else.
The older I get, the more I realize the truth in Paul’s statement. Loving God and others makes a difference in life. Nothing else we do will impact the world as much as loving it. People remember how we make them feel more than anything else. Actions of love remain with people and can spur them on in difficult times.
When I think of my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, I think of love. Her face doesn’t come to mind, but her heart does. She loved me, that I remember, just like I loved her. Fifty years later, I can still remember how she made me feel. Love does that to a person; it sticks with you long after the moments pass.
However, I don’t remember the physical things that, at the time, meant the world to me. My clothes and toys disappeared. I can’t recall what bedspread covered my bed or the window curtains. I remember that the top of the school desks opened upward, giving us a place to stash our pencils and books. None of those things exist any longer, the school having closed long ago, but the love I shared with my teacher still warms my heart.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Without Jesus, we can’t know love. Through Christ, God actively showed His love for a fallen world. Pouring unconditional love from above, the Lord created a connection with us through Jesus. Knowing God’s Son through scripture and applying His teachings to your life will transform you. As you begin to view the world through God’s lens, your heart will ache with the Lord over the brokenness of our world.
Becoming the hands and feet of Jesus means putting love into action and using the gifts and talents God gave you to serve others. For me, God gave me a desire to write. I feel the Lord’s presence when I sit at my laptop, letting the words flow to the screen. Eric Lidell, 1924 Olympic champion runner and follower of Christ, says it well:
“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Chariots of Fire[1]
Find your purpose and experience God’s pleasure. Start with loving God and others; the rest will follow.
Love Drop Challenge:
Share love with others today by making time for them. Look them in the eyes, listen to their words, put the phone down, and lift your eyes. Don’t interrupt, don’t give advice, listen, and love.
[1] https://ericgeiger.com/2014/03/17/i-feel-gods-pleasure-when-i-blank/
