The God kind of love
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1
1 Corinthians 12-14 are three chapters all about the Holy Spirit and His gifts. Chapter 13 is known as the great love chapter, but it is really about operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the love of God. The Apostle Paul said, even if you can speak in the languages of people and of angels but you do it without love, you just sound like a bunch of noise. He goes on to say that even if you have the gifts of prophecy, knowledge, faith, but not love, you have nothing. Those gifts are worth nothing in eternity without the love of God attached to them.
Love is the key to operating by the power of the Holy Spirit. This goes along with what was mentioned in chapter 12 that you can desire the best gift, but truly operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit only matters if it is done with love. It makes sense too. Since God is love, surly everything He does is motivated by love. Not a human temporal love, it is by God’s eternal perfect love. If God’s love is our motivation in all things, toward all people, then we can know that the Holy Spirit of God/Love will flow through us.
So, just to take one small look at what the love of God looks like, we can look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. As you read through the list below, I have added an equal part to each quality to help you understand the character of God more.
Love suffers long = God suffers long
Love is kind = God is kind
Love does not envy = God does not envy
Love does not parade itself = God does not parade Himself
Love is not puffed up = God is not puffed up
Love does not behave rudely = God does not behave rudely
Love seeks not its own glory = God seeks not His own glory
Love is not provoked to anger = God is not provoked to anger
Love thinks no evil = God things no evil
Love rejoices not in iniquity = God rejoices not in iniquity
Love rejoices in the truth = God rejoices in the truth
Love bears all things = God bears all things
Love believes all things = God believes all things
Love hopes all things = God hopes all things
Love endures all things = God endures all things
Love never fails = God never fails
Wow! That truly is perfect love and demonstrates our perfect Father.
Today I want to encourage you to study this list of things that will improve your love walk. Don’t hold back giving love to only those deserving. The truth is none are deserving, we only hold a higher standard of love for those closest to us. Drop your guard and decide that you are going to love all people with the God kind of love. The only thing you have to lose is pride, and that’s a good thing. Of course, you will not get it perfectly, but that’s ok. Just get back out there and do it again. It takes practice and as you practice loving all people, your daily practice will make impactful progress. So go ahead and get rid of your pride, humble yourself to give the gift of love to all people like God does. It will not only make a difference in the lives of those around you, but it will also change your life too!
Today’s scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1 Though 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.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The Daily Dose 