1 Corinthians 13
February 13, 2007
1 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. 2 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. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 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. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 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. 12 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. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I am so familiar with this passage that it’s easy to read over it quickly and not think about each of the things that love is. I need to read it again and apply it to the love I have for God and for others.
The last part is talking about how limited our understanding is here on earth, but when we get to heaven we will understand everything. While we live in our limitations we need to trust the one who has no limits.
Once again the broken record that I play…sorry! I’m not sure if I just keep picking at this thought or if it is something God is really trying to work in my life but here it goes again. Love is God. Without God there would be no love. His love is unconditional and He always loves us. He loves us enough to correct us and He loves us enough to cut us off. His love is unconditional however if you refuse His commandments His righteousness can not keep you from hells flames. 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
pretty timely scripture with valentines day tomorrow…This is true love, not that puppy love people fall in and out of…this is how a relationship should be…
How I should love my God, my wife, my parents, my friends, MY ENEMIES, my COFY, my ministry, my church…
Like Merry stated, I really need to learn how to apply this more to mylife….I dont want to be a clanging cymbal…and by being a drummer, I know exactly what that means to sound like clanging cymbal…they resonate and overpower the other sound…so our inability to love overpowers everything else that we are doing…HOpe that made sense…
peace
I find it interesting in verse 11 that Paul uses the metaphor of childhood to manhood in the middle of his discussion on love. He is trying to show that as a young Christian in the beginning of the age of signs and gifts he chased the gifts and the importance he felt in possessing and exercising them. But as he grew in Christ, he realized that our walk is about love. Letting the compassion of Christ call people out of sin. This is the reference to the manhood of his walk.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
Throughout the scriptures we have studied on the blog so far, we have seen a lot about love. Here is the blueprint for what our love is supposed to be like. Even in my marriage, this kind of love is not present all the time. How many times do I keep records of wrongs, how many times am I easily angered? Do I always protect my husband’s reputation or other people’s opinion of him with my love. I think this passage is really meaningful to me today because of V-day tomorrow, a day to celebrate love. The world has commercialized what love is supposed to be, but as I said before, we have the blueprint for what real love looks like.