2006-08-07 - But Have Not Love

1 Cor.13:1-3 "Though I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ²And though I have the gift of prophesy, & understand all mysteries & all knowledge, & though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, & though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."₁

The Hebrew ah v h & the Greek agape is "printed in Scripture as the very nature of God (1 John4:8,16) & the greatest of the Christian virtues (1 Cor13:13). It sounds simple…love your neighbor…how hard can that be? Saying "hello" on your way out to work, & maybe a few comments on garbage day, as you find you both chose the same moment to take up the garbage. Friends at church & elsewhere, surely that is the easiest by far, but add family & it begins to become more challenging. Let's add…testing to the mixture – one word: children, talk about testing limits…especially yours.₂

Now to spice things up a bit, add a little bit of "BAM!" Your season- all of sorts, which ingredients include: strenuous, a touch of arduous, grueling, tiring & a pinch of demanding. Who could contain all of these ingredients? It may be different for each person. Generally, it's the person closest to you, a spouse for example. We want to take love & make it to fit into lifestyles of our own making, without regard to others, but is that God's way?

Father, teach us your way to love. Let us seek for your way in every situation & circumstance in our lives. In the precious, glorious name of Jesus. AMEN!

¹ Nelsons NKJV Study Bible
² The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary

Comments or Questions?
Cheryl

botwbld@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org