1 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,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV)
Love plays the biggest part in our Christian walk. We can go to church, pray regularly, seek to help others, but if we do not do these things in love then our faith is really meaningless.
I did not fully understand this until much later in life. I spent the better part of my faith life doing good things and reaching out to people, but love was not really a part of it. I cared, but I did not love. I think this might be harder for my generation. It is not that we do not love, but that we grew up reserving love for only special people. It was not something we gave universally, at least not as men.
And we can talk about loving others, but do we really? Does our compassion come from a place of pity or from love? Do we look upon others with the love of Christ?
Reflect on: The part that love actually plays in our Christian life.
