Friday 14 Feb 2014

Friday Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-10

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:8
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.

Devotion:
Ok, so we say that we have to show our love and not just talk about it… How? Hmm, didn’t expect to have to go that far? Well love is something very special that is shared between people and it is not something to be trifled with so we should make sure that what we do show is real love and not just words. I used to think that I could get away with a few good words when I was young but slowly realised that the words were very hollow compared to showing love to that person.

I now tend to tread a bit more cautiously and try not to overstep the mark; but I still get myself into trouble because I want to be able to show real love to all people and not just the ones that the world says I should be allowed to love. I do not mean the ‘love’ the world has either but the love that Christ has taught me to show. The love the world talk about is normally lust, compassion or just another way of getting something out of someone else!

If we take the words of C.S. Lewis then we begin to find out a bit more about love “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.” God does not want us to use love as the thing that strengthens us. He does not want us to use love to prop ourselves us. He wants us to use love to give everything to the people you love so that they can bask in that love.

Love can be a hard thing to accept, especially when you start thinking that the attention you are getting is worldly attention and not attention due to outward love. But love is something that we should be willing to give openly and not expect any in return, because living in expectation of returned love will always result in depression or disappointment! God loves us knowing that we will not love Him as much; but he still loves us totally.

Points to Ponder:
Do you measure love?

Do you wholly love?