1 CORINTHIANS 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
1 CORINTHIANS 13 LOVE IS THE ESSENCE OF ALL ACTS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If your purpose at doing something is not love
Your work is futile; it has no meaning and won’t last
No matter how much abilities you have or how much knowledge
It won’t make a difference; you won’t be wise to discern things
But if you do things out of love, you will be patient and humble
You will not make a list of wrongs done to you or grumble
There will be no expectations of getting something
It won’t be a contract but it will be unconditional giving to someone.
My 16th anniversary is coming this first of August. This love chapter is the sermon in our wedding. I wasn’t a born again Christian when I got married. I had no idea what this chapter meant until after a few more years of being married. It was one day in February that I placed so much preparation for our love celebration and I wasn’t aware that I had a very transactional concept of love. I was expecting something from my husband that I wasn’t even truly aware of. When he did not meet that standard, I was so angry and grumbly. I was already born again and that day, I was writing a blog on these verses. Then I was rebuked by God’s Spirit to look again and study these love chapters. I then realized that I didn’t know how to love truly. I only know the way the world loves which is transactional. Paul presents the true meaning of love in this chapter as he confronts the carnal ways that the Corinthians view love.
REFLECTION
· What is the most challenging part of these verses on love for you? Why?
