The most important things I have learned in my Walk as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, and a lover of God:
We are to love because God loved us first.
Understanding His love and all it encompasses, we are to love the Lord God with every fiber of our beings, with all our strength, heart, soul, mind.
As disciples, reflecting and imitating Jesus, we are to love others as ourselves.
Jesus didn't tell us to love those who love us first, so that we are just "returning the favor"...in fact, with the exception of God loving us first, this is not a prerequisite.
We are supposed to, commanded to, love even our enemies.
What is the mark, the sign, that the world will know who we are?
Is it bible knowledge, eloquent preaching, speaking in tongues, towering buildings, amazing worship and praise meetings ?
“A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34, 35
Everything else is a distant second. No, actually, it's less than that; everything else means nothing, accomplishes nothing.
The knowledge, the training, wisdom and prophecy, philanthropy, in and of themselves, without love is pointless. Love, and only love, is what enables everything else, it is the purpose, the means, and the end, and properly applied, is the answer to every question.
Jesus tells us: "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:2)
I desire to be dealt with in love, in this life and the life to come, so I will choose to stock my "toolbox" with love and its associated attributes: lovingkindness, understanding, forgiveness, gentleness, patience, long suffering, empathy and sympathy, trust... And when I fail, it's my prayer that others will be gentle with me, and love me, smoothing over my many flaws and rough spots, believing and help renew and restore me.
After all, God is love.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
We are to love because God loved us first.
Understanding His love and all it encompasses, we are to love the Lord God with every fiber of our beings, with all our strength, heart, soul, mind.
As disciples, reflecting and imitating Jesus, we are to love others as ourselves.
Jesus didn't tell us to love those who love us first, so that we are just "returning the favor"...in fact, with the exception of God loving us first, this is not a prerequisite.
We are supposed to, commanded to, love even our enemies.
What is the mark, the sign, that the world will know who we are?
Is it bible knowledge, eloquent preaching, speaking in tongues, towering buildings, amazing worship and praise meetings ?
“A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34, 35
Everything else is a distant second. No, actually, it's less than that; everything else means nothing, accomplishes nothing.
The knowledge, the training, wisdom and prophecy, philanthropy, in and of themselves, without love is pointless. Love, and only love, is what enables everything else, it is the purpose, the means, and the end, and properly applied, is the answer to every question.
Jesus tells us: "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:2)
I desire to be dealt with in love, in this life and the life to come, so I will choose to stock my "toolbox" with love and its associated attributes: lovingkindness, understanding, forgiveness, gentleness, patience, long suffering, empathy and sympathy, trust... And when I fail, it's my prayer that others will be gentle with me, and love me, smoothing over my many flaws and rough spots, believing and help renew and restore me.
After all, God is love.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
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