If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. —1 Corinthians 13:1-7 MSG
Four times in this passage from scripture it tells us that if we do not love, we are nothing. We can have all the power in the world, be saint-like, speak religious things like there is no tomorrow, and speak with influence, but if our heart is void of love, we are bankrupt.
This love that was written about ... it's not about just loving our family and our closest friends. It's about an outpouring of love from our hearts that covers everything we touch and everyone we speak to. It does not discriminate.
One of the hardest things in life is to love the unlovable ... to love those who do not love or give anything in return. i think it's important to note just because we love people who are unlovable, does not mean that we condone their unhealthy actions. It means we love them for where they are in life and we lift them up in prayer. To love means we hold no anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and no ill-will towards others. It doesn't mean we are best friends with everyone, it means we are at peace with everyone.
Love propels people forward. To live without love is like living in darkness with no hope of seeing the sun. It provides warmth, compassion, joy, peace, and gratitude. Choose to love all the people you come in contact with like Jesus does (no matter how difficult they are to love). Our job is to love deeply, it is the Lord's job to deal with the sin, bad attitude's, unhealthy behaviors, addictions, etc.
Lord, sometimes we cannot count the number of people we come in contact with daily that rub us the wrong way. But, you love them anyways and we, as an example of your unconditional love, should love them to. Help us to radiate your glorious love. Remind us that we can very easily turn someone away from you by our unlovable actions just as easily as we can point someone towards your light and love. In Jesus mighty name.
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