Newsletter of April 2009
1
Corinthian 13
1Though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I
give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not
parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail;
whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge,
it will vanish away.
What God is trying to tell us in this familiar passage
is that nothing is more important in our Christian walk than love.
Nothing!!! It is so easy for those of us who are "experienced"
followers of Christ to become distracted by other things we've decided
are important, like speaking in tongues every church service, studying
the Bible in Hebrew to learn all the cool words, building enough faith
to conjure up a miracle, or raising enough money to go on a missions
trip. All of these things are important in our walk with God. We need
to speak in tongues, we need to study His word, we need to have faith,
and we need to minister to the poor; but if we are doing any one of
those things and not loving the people around us, they count for nothing!
Take a little time for some self-evaluation. Is it easier for you
to give in the offering than to let go of a grudge? Is it easier for
you to pray every day than to stop gossiping? 1 John 4:8 says, "He
that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." We may look
like structured, disciplined Christians, but if we can't love our
neighbors, every effort we put forth can't bring us any closer to
knowing God. Additional Scriptures: 1 John 4:8 - KMcC