Scripture of the day
1 Corinthians 13:1 - 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.
Interpreters amaze me. Especially those who know multiple languages. There are certain people who have the ambition, talent and ability to translate one language into another on the fly while someone is speaking.
I wish I had that ability, yet ironically, I absolutely dreaded going to my one mandatory class of French in high school. And since, had no desire to continue learning new languages.
But there is one language that transforms hearts and is even beyond words. That is the language of love. Even without saying one word we can show love.
I'm not talking about anything sexual or perverse in nature. I'm talking about about the purest form of love. The love of God who sent his son to die for our sins type of love.
So how can we show love to others without even words? Of course our words are very important and can speak love but there is much more to love than just talk. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
We can show love by doing. We can feed those who are hungry or help others in a time of need. Showing love can be a simple smile to someone as you walk, opening the door, helping someone load or unload groceries. It can be buying gifts or simply spending time with someone and listening instead of talking. There are countless ways to love someone.
But how important is love really, to God, to our soul and to our salvation. According to the Bible it's EVERYTHING! There is nothing more important. Here are just a few scriptures that talks about the importance of love:
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 - 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. 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. 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.
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.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Peter 4:8 - And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.
Proverbs 10:12 - Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
1 John 4:8 - Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Romans 12:9 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The greatest love story ever written is the Bible. That's how important love is to God and that's why we need to have love in our hearts more than anything else.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love for us. Your endless, generous, unfailing love. You've shown me through your word and throughout my life how to love. Give me the strength to love the unlovable. To overcome evil with love. Just as you love everyone, let my actions speak out to everyone in love.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
