The greatest gift

The greatest gift

"If I speak in tongues of men or of angels, but do not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to the hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Hmmm. In our world today, I think the word love has lost it's meaning.  We love our cars.  We love our phones.  We love our new shoes (feeling me women?).   We love our favorite football team.  We just seem to love everyone and everything.  But what is love?  I mean real love.  What is it?  The world definition is an intense feeling of deep affection or a person or thing that one loves.  Sounds like a feeling that will pass, doesn't it?  Once our possessions get old, we sure don't love them anymore.  Time to trade for something new right?

But the bible (the master authority on love) talks about three different kinds of love: phileo love, agape love, and eros love.  Phileo love is an affectionate love like you have for a friend or a brother.  Eros love is a passionate love like the love found between a husband and wife.  Then we have agape love.  And, let me tell you something, it's so great there's not a Hallmark card in the world that can describe it!

The agape love is different from other types of love.  The essence of it is self-sacrifice(think Jesus on the cross).  This kind of love is of and from God himself.  1 John 4:8 says that, "God is love."  God doesn't simply love, He is love.  He loves the unlovable because it is His very nature to love.  It's who He is! He is love!!  Romans 5:8 says, "but God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  

In the same way, we are to love to others.  Agape love is not based on a feeling, as worldly love is, but is a determined act of will.  But we are totally incapable of this kind of love apart from Christ.  Romans 5:5 tells us that this is the love that has been "poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us." when we became His children.   The love we show is proof that we are His children.  

We are all given gifts, whether it be "speaking in tongues, the gift of prophecy or the faith that can move mountains," but we are nothing without love.  Love is more important than all the other gifts.  You may have the greatest spiritual gift in the world, but it means nothing without love.   It's by and through love that our actions and gifts are made useful. It is the one thing available to everyone!  

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love  - For King and Country

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us.  We are sinners undeserving of your love.  Let us be bold as we use the gifts you gave us to share Your love with others.  Let our lives be the proof of your love.  In your precious name Jesus, Amen.  

Happy Running!!