By: Anonymous
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
God is love and he defines love. His Word teaches us that love is patient, kind, selfless, humble, gracious, forgiving, peaceful, trusting, hopeful, and persevering! These are characteristics that can take a lifetime to pursue and grow in because as humans we fall short of the glory of God.
For the most part, we aim to do what is right and to please God. We want to do great things and accomplish much in our lives. Whatever we do for this life only, however, will pass away at some point. Our careers, homes, hobbies, dreams, and ambitions will all cease to matter. God says that faith, hope, and love are what will endure the longest. There’ll be no need for prophecy, mutual understanding, or knowledge because in heaven all prophecy will be realized, the saved will share an angelic language, and we will live for eternity with the all-knowing God. Our faith and hope will be fulfilled and love alone will remain as our greatest act of worship.
Why is love most important?
Love is the first and greatest commandment. It is at the foundation of everything that stems from God. We are to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Without love motivating us we will not have the faith and hope we need to make a real difference in this world. We need to keep going to God and the Bible to refill our love bank daily so we can be at peace within ourselves and with others, and not grieve the Holy Spirit in us (Ephesians 4:29-32).
Everything we strive to do to fulfill God’s plan for us to be his ambassadors hangs on the greatest expectation for us to love. Our love for one another – not the righteous deeds we do or acts of service – is what distinguishes us as Christians (John 13:34-35).
Love in Action
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:7-12
Love God – spend at least a half hour daily getting to know God by reading the Bible and reflecting on how great God is
Love God’s people – pray for a different person in our church family daily. Who can you pray for today?Â
Love everyone – warmly greet someone you meet along the path, encourage a co-worker, text or post in social media a positive message of faith, hope, and love. How can you show love and kindness today?Â
Thanks for reading this Christian Blog series: “Sermonized”. We will have a blog post every Monday ready for your quiet time!
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