Reading: I Corithians 10-13
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away(I Cor. 13:4-8).
Godly love is perfect love. It is patient and kind -- never envious or boastful. It is not conceited, with inflated ideas of its own importance, and it is never rude. Godly love does not insist on its own way and is not self-seeking. It is not quick to take offense, nor does it think about evil things or rejoice in anything sinful; Godly love always delights when truth is upheld. Godly love can overlook faults, is eager to believe the best, and is always hopeful. It knows no limit to its endurance and will never cease. Godly love comes only from God; it is a gift He freely shares with us in the expectation that we also share it with each other. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (I John 4:7-8). Jesus emphasized the importance of love to the Christian heart when He said to His disciples: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).
From Christ's words, we can see that love is not just one element that can be found in true believers; love is THE thing that separates God’s children from the rest of the world. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 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, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing (I Cor. 13:1-3). Nothing we do without it has any meaning, not for ourselves or anyone else.
How can we, as imperfect, selfish human beings, ever live up to God’s standard of perfect love? The simple answer is that in and of ourselves, we can’t. But after we have accepted Christ as our Savior and opened our hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to reflect the love that God is showering on us outwards toward the rest of the world. If we claim to have found Christ, yet we cannot find compassion in our hearts for our fellow man, then perhaps we need to reevaluate the strength of our commitment.
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also(I John 4:20-21).
Thought for Today: Godly love cannot be replicated, but it can be aspired to.
Cross References: For I Cor. 10:7: See Ex. 32:6. I Cor. 10:26: See Ps. 24:1.Word Studies:10:24 another's wealth = the well-being of others; 10:25 shambles = meat market; 11:11 man without the woman = independent of; woman is essential to man; 11:13 comely = proper; 12:2 dumb = mute.
Pray for StaffKevin Jennings • Government Officials: Sen. Shelley Capito (WV), Rep. Summer Lee (PA) • Country: Italy (61,680,122) Southern Europe • Major Languages: Italian, German • Religious Freedom • 80% Christian (Overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, some Protestants & Jehovah Witness); 20% Atheists/Agnostics; (About 700,000 but growing, Muslims) • Prayer Suggestion: Read, study, and listen to the Word of God so that your prayers will be answered (Prov. 28:9).