Daily Bread 2011 - 1 Corinthians 13
Daily Bread 2011 – 1 Corinthians 13
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.
What Does This Mean?
This is another favorite chapter of many people, and is read at probably 80% of the weddings I have been to. These are also the verses I read at every wedding I preside at? Why? Because I believe it is the best definition of love out there. And what is it that every marriage needs to succeed? Love! Importantly we see a definition of love that is based in action. Love is patient, love is kind etc… Although most love starts out as a feeling, as it matures it is based not on fickle feelings, but on actionable and demonstrated love. I would call this “true love”.
My favorite verse in the whole chapter is verse 8, “Love never fails”. Someone might say, “Wait a minute I see love failing all the time. I mean look at the 50% divorce rate!” And I would say, or better yet the bible would say, “Is it love that failed or the person that failed to love.” Not this is not to shame those who have been through divorce, as I realize that there are lots of different situations and many are very complex. But I do believe that if marriages would base their affection on these verses, that they would have an excellent chance to see that “love never fails”.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Importantly the source of love is Jesus. If we are to rely on human love, we will run into problems. But God’s love is unconditional. God’s love sought us when we were lost and Jesus went to the cross to show us the full extent of God’s love. God’s love never fails. As we experience God’s love through Jesus Christ and it changes our lives, we are in a position to show that same kind of love to others including those in our home.
Are you struggling to love others close to you? Have you been spending time abiding in God’s love for you? Have you been practicing the verbs in this chapter Ie. Love is patient, kind… When we are tempted to conclude someone around us is un-loveable, it might be helpful for us to reflect on God’s love for us even in our most un-loveable moments, which in my case are many. In biblical terms this is caught in the phrase, “whoever is forgiven much, loves much.” If you are struggling with patience or compassion with others, spend some time reflecting on how you have “been forgiven much”. This will help you to grow in understanding God’s unfailing love!
Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us how deep Your love is for us. You sent your Son into the world to show us Your unconditional love. As Your love never fails, we can begin to love with a love that never fails. Amen.
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.
What Does This Mean?
This is another favorite chapter of many people, and is read at probably 80% of the weddings I have been to. These are also the verses I read at every wedding I preside at? Why? Because I believe it is the best definition of love out there. And what is it that every marriage needs to succeed? Love! Importantly we see a definition of love that is based in action. Love is patient, love is kind etc… Although most love starts out as a feeling, as it matures it is based not on fickle feelings, but on actionable and demonstrated love. I would call this “true love”.
My favorite verse in the whole chapter is verse 8, “Love never fails”. Someone might say, “Wait a minute I see love failing all the time. I mean look at the 50% divorce rate!” And I would say, or better yet the bible would say, “Is it love that failed or the person that failed to love.” Not this is not to shame those who have been through divorce, as I realize that there are lots of different situations and many are very complex. But I do believe that if marriages would base their affection on these verses, that they would have an excellent chance to see that “love never fails”.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Importantly the source of love is Jesus. If we are to rely on human love, we will run into problems. But God’s love is unconditional. God’s love sought us when we were lost and Jesus went to the cross to show us the full extent of God’s love. God’s love never fails. As we experience God’s love through Jesus Christ and it changes our lives, we are in a position to show that same kind of love to others including those in our home.
Are you struggling to love others close to you? Have you been spending time abiding in God’s love for you? Have you been practicing the verbs in this chapter Ie. Love is patient, kind… When we are tempted to conclude someone around us is un-loveable, it might be helpful for us to reflect on God’s love for us even in our most un-loveable moments, which in my case are many. In biblical terms this is caught in the phrase, “whoever is forgiven much, loves much.” If you are struggling with patience or compassion with others, spend some time reflecting on how you have “been forgiven much”. This will help you to grow in understanding God’s unfailing love!
Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us how deep Your love is for us. You sent your Son into the world to show us Your unconditional love. As Your love never fails, we can begin to love with a love that never fails. Amen.
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