The Greatest of These Is LOVE

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."

Have you ever been so annoyed by an irritating sound? Nails on the chalkboard...snooring, sneezing, incessant gum smaking? Someone's ring tone that continues to go off AND THEN the person talking loudly so that you are part of the conversation and have just heard waaaayyyy too much information???

Yep. That's what WE sound like to the world as Christians if we don't love others... I could speak 10 different languages fluently, publish a book, write beautiful blog posts...but, if I don't love the people in my life well...coworkers, in-laws, neighbors...I am as irritating as a GONG.

"If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing."

Doesn't matter how SMART I am...how much I KNOW...how well I can interpret the Bible, even if I could explain it beautifully and teach it perfectly to others, if I don't LOVE, it doesn't mean ANYTHING. A N Y T H I N G!!!!

"If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing."

So...where is my heart? Because I can "give" to others.....but in a grudgingly, stingy, eye-rollin' judgmental way. Has anyone ever given something to you and you have secretly thought "thanks, but NO THANKS!" Giving WITHOUT love is not truly giving. I may be able to BRAG about my giving...but how does my recipient feel???

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Ahhhh....most quoted Bible wedding verses. But wouldn't it be better if these, for Christ-followers were most quoted FUNERAL verses? Yes, Tracy lived like Jesus. She was patient. She was kind. She wasn't jealous or boastful or proud. She didn't demand her own way. She wasn't irritable (EVEN during PMS!), didn't hold a grudge, didn't "keep score", didn't rejoice about injustice but celebrated justice. She never gave up, never lost faith, was always hopeful, and always endured...Wow! If we as Christians lived our lives that way, WE WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD! I have taught my kids that love is a VERB. And, an action verb at that. Love DOES. What does love "do"? Reread this paragraph! Love is patient...with your kids, your spouse, even your SIBLING, the person who cut you off in traffic, the person taking too long ordering in a huge line, the cashier who has made 12 mistakes and causing the too  long line, your boss, your co-worker, your in-laws....EVERYBODY! Love is kind (go through people list again!). Love isn't jealous...ouch, not proud, doesn't brag. Love is the WALK that accompanies the TALK.  And, it endures....hard things...uncomfotable things...scary things. Lord, may I endure, all times, all things IN LOVE.

It's hard to live like this. I try. But, I mess up. I fall down while I am WALKING the TALK. But, my God is right there to pick me up, encourage me, and help to continue to love. And, he is right there for you when you stumble in your walk!

"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."

And the greatest of these is LOVE. Oh Lord, help me to LOVE.❤

1 Corinthians 13:1‭-‬7‭, ‬13 NLT