Valentine’s Day. A hallmark holiday filled with chocolate, flowers, cards, and pressure to take that special someone to a fancy dinner or get a nice gift. It’s about showing love to the special people in your life.
1 Corinthians 13 is a passage that’s shown up time and again for me since the beginning of the race. It keeps popping in my head, people remind me of it, and we’ve had conversations about it on my teams numerous times. I think it’s so applicable for believers.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3:
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I have become a resounding gong or 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 have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Here I am traveling around the world to serve. How many people do we know who are serving in some way but aren’t believers? So, what’s the difference between a believer and a non-believer serving?
Christ’s love that’s in our hearts.
A friend recently pointed out to me that humanitarians help people, but Christians LOVE people. The love that we as believers have to share with the world is the difference.
I can have knowledge, many talents, and gifts, a great faith, give away everything I have but if I don’t do those things out of love, none of it matters. The things I’m doing- evangelizing, preaching, encouraging, serving, playing with children- have no importance if they’re not done out of love. As believers, we have something to offer the world. How are you offering Christ’s love to the world?
Consider starting your day with this question, “God, who do You want me to love for You today?”
