Love

1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love; I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If 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. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.


Valentines is right around the corner, the day of Love. Everyone will be running out buying cards, stuffed animals, and chocolate. Maybe some jewelry….who knows, but make no mistake about it people are going to have love on the brain. Love is a wonderful mysterious thing. Everyone wants it, many people have tried to buy it, reason for it, even live their life in search of it. It is as if Love is the pinnacle of life, and everyone is after it. Paul here is telling everyone no matter what you have, no matter how smart you are no matter how much you give without love all is worthless.

If love is so important that nothing else matters, why is it so hard to find? We know that Paul is putting its importance above anything else you can obtain, Jesus agreed with Paul. Christ told the Pharisees that the two most important laws were to love your God with all your strength, all your heart, and all your might, then turn and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Therein lies the problem.

We can love God. God is prefect, God uses everything in our lives for the good, God does not make mistakes……but we do, we often work to destroy our lives, we often make mistakes, and we are far from perfect! Loving God is not where we are lacking. We fail to love others enough because we do not love ourselves.

Maybe loving ourselves is not the right term….I know a lot of people who love themselves! More to the point we have a hard time forgiving ourselves so that the love of Christ can grow within us.

(to be continued tomorrow)

Peace,
Rev. Thetford