For the Love of Jesus
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
You don’t need Webster’s dictionary to find the meaning of “love.” Love is plainly defined for us in God’s Word. The first four verses in 1 Corinthians above introduce us to what love is and who love is. This is so important to explore, especially as we enter our last week of advent where we emphasize love. In the past few weeks, we explored peace, joy and hope, but love is the greatest of them all.
According to the Word, you can speak brilliantly and eloquently, but if you do not have love, you sound like gongs and cymbals clanging, just a bunch of noise. If you have gifts and knowledge, faith to move mountains, but no love, you are nothing. If you are the best giving person ever and you sacrifice but have no love, you gain nothing. In other words, your love actions speak louder than all your words or anything else.
The greatest example of love happened when the Father sent His Son to earth for us. God was so concerned about saving us that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son for you and me. Jesus became Love and He showed us what love truly means not only in His ministry, but when He died on the cross for our sins. He left us the purest example of love and how freely it should be given. After all, if He can love us in spite of our downfalls and mistakes, we should easily love others in return.
Our desire should be to love as Jesus loves. We should seek to polish our skills at loving others as He did. As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ, and by our actions, others will know of Him.
More than our earthly desires, we need love. It is only love that will solve our problems and bring relief and salvation. Just as people are starving for food, there are people who are starving for love. Even you may be one of them. Those people might be right in your own circle. Do you have a family member from whom you’ve withheld love because of a disagreement? Do you have friends you’ve stopped speaking to because of their political affiliation? Have you ignored the neighbor down the street that lives alone?
It’s time for us to seek the love of Jesus so that we can seek to pour out our love on people. Since Jesus is love and love is Jesus, see how clearer the definition of love becomes for us. We gain a clearer picture of what love is and how important it is to love as He did.
“(Jesus) Love is patient, (Jesus) love is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. (Jesus) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (Jesus) Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Prayer
Lord,
I look to You and Your strength; I seek Your face always. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I seek You, and You answer me; You deliver me from all my fears. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts. Amen!
Photo by Fadi Xd on Unsplash
Google Doc
You don’t need Webster’s dictionary to find the meaning of “love.” Love is plainly defined for us in God’s Word. The first four verses in 1 Corinthians above introduce us to what love is and who love is. This is so important to explore, especially as we enter our last week of advent where we emphasize love. In the past few weeks, we explored peace, joy and hope, but love is the greatest of them all.
According to the Word, you can speak brilliantly and eloquently, but if you do not have love, you sound like gongs and cymbals clanging, just a bunch of noise. If you have gifts and knowledge, faith to move mountains, but no love, you are nothing. If you are the best giving person ever and you sacrifice but have no love, you gain nothing. In other words, your love actions speak louder than all your words or anything else.
The greatest example of love happened when the Father sent His Son to earth for us. God was so concerned about saving us that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son for you and me. Jesus became Love and He showed us what love truly means not only in His ministry, but when He died on the cross for our sins. He left us the purest example of love and how freely it should be given. After all, if He can love us in spite of our downfalls and mistakes, we should easily love others in return.
Our desire should be to love as Jesus loves. We should seek to polish our skills at loving others as He did. As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ, and by our actions, others will know of Him.
More than our earthly desires, we need love. It is only love that will solve our problems and bring relief and salvation. Just as people are starving for food, there are people who are starving for love. Even you may be one of them. Those people might be right in your own circle. Do you have a family member from whom you’ve withheld love because of a disagreement? Do you have friends you’ve stopped speaking to because of their political affiliation? Have you ignored the neighbor down the street that lives alone?
It’s time for us to seek the love of Jesus so that we can seek to pour out our love on people. Since Jesus is love and love is Jesus, see how clearer the definition of love becomes for us. We gain a clearer picture of what love is and how important it is to love as He did.
“(Jesus) Love is patient, (Jesus) love is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. (Jesus) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (Jesus) Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Prayer
Lord,
I look to You and Your strength; I seek Your face always. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I seek You, and You answer me; You deliver me from all my fears. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts. Amen!
Photo by Fadi Xd on Unsplash
Google Doc
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A New Year's PrayerJust Say YesReady for A BreakthroughI Shall Not WantAddictive LoveAgainAtmospheric PowerStay With MeFrom Mercy To LoveI Will Fear No EvilCome to JesusMy IntercessorLord of the LeftoversBring On The PraiseLet Me Be Like An AntBreathe On UsA Leap of FaithJust A SipThe God Who Sees MeThe Light At the End of the TunnelEmbrace Your Spiritual BlessingsFor Our BrokennessHallelujah!On Your FaceDon't Lose Your DreamsLiving This MomentOur Ever Present Help
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Dove of PeaceThe Roundabout WayA Ten Dollar BlessingLiving in God's ZoneMountain, MoveThis Time, I'll Be StillQuiet Our Souls While You WorkFinding Favor, Finding HopeYour MoveBreaking Out For JesusWhat Our Hearts DesireThe Love of Yahweh!This Is How You LoveBreathe Your Breath of RevivalDo You Believe ItKeep It Moving!There's Beauty in My BrokennessThe Fire and The AltarGoing Fishing
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