“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
It is true, but what I believe I am hearing is that as a man… and if…
“…I speak with the tongues of men and of angels…
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;
And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains…
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor…
And though I give my body to be burned…”
I am shallow, I am nothing, I have profited nothing,
if all the gifting… all the deeds of righteousness… are not motivated and characterized by love.
Father… where is the loving kindness, the good will towards and between all mankind… if the motivation for our good deeds, and the use of our gifts…though they be superlative in quality…
are characterized by
unbecoming behavior…impatience, becoming easily provoked and secretly thinking bad thoughts…
are motivated for…
satisfying envy…enlarging ourselves in the eyes of men…justifying pridefulness… seeking our own profit…?
What good is there in our gifting and deeds Father if…
We profess to take joy in truth and then include secret pleasure in sin?
Father… we look to Your guidance and empowerment to:
“…Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things…”
to know and couple love, in its multitude of forms, with gifting and deeds.
In the days of the week ahead when we experience another’s patience towards us or their kindness… acts of helpfulness… not self-seeking but out of a heart of the genuine desire to bless…
we would know we have experienced love… as You define love.
What a wonderful thing it is to be loved.
May we be a source to others, as well as a receptacle from others, of Your marvelous love.
May You be pleased and glorified.
In Yeshua’s name we pray,
Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8 AKJV
