Thought for the Day –Love is the Christian’s ID Card

Thought for the Day –Love is the Christian’s ID Card

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Faith, hope and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13.1-3, and 13)

Monday Nov 20

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love…”

‘If’ is a big word. It makes all the difference. ‘If’ sets conditions for something to be true. Paul starts his great hymn on love by being very blunt. If we do not have love, nothing else matters much. Human eloquence with all our promises and clever words, and our spiritual sounding prayers however sincere they sound; if they don’t grow out of a heart given in love to God and to each other in Christ, then they fail the most basic quality test. “Lord, keep teaching us to speak with the accents of your love.”

Tuesday Nov 21

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 

‘Only’ is another powerful word. It sets limits. Only a resounding cymbal means all the other instruments are silent, there’s no music, only noise. You can’t hear the music for the annoying din and lingering echoes of percussion instruments. Paul says, without the music and harmonies and rhythms of love, all our words, our well-meant prayers, and our worship efforts don’t have the ring of truth, sincerity or integrity.  “Lord, by the music of your love, silence the noise of our grievances and self-assertions.”

Wednesday Nov 22

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge…but have not love…”

The truth is, none of us is clever enough, or pure in heart enough, to get to the bottom of the love and grace and mystery of the mercy of God. But even if we were, we would still never know enough. The purest and deepest way of knowing is through love. The way to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ is to know ourselves loved, and say yes to the call to live in the environment of Christ-like love. “Lord, help us to look on you with the eyes of the heart, and to love as we have been loved.”

 Thursday Nov 23

“And if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

Moving mountains is hard, but it can be done, usually with heavy machinery! It would be great if it could be done by faith. What a miracle! But then Paul goes and spoils our faith filled fun by saying mountain moving is worthless and useless if the mountain movers lack the fundamental qualification for service in the kingdom of God – love. By all means try to move mountains by faith, but unless your faith is governed, inspired and focused on loving others in the name of Christ it counts for precisely nothing. “Lord, ignite our faith with love, and energise our love with faith.”

Friday Nov 24

“If I give all I possess to the poor, and have not love I gain nothing.”

Just to be clear. Giving to the poor, and being generous with what God has given us, is always a good thing. Jesus said when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, pay up front for someone to be helped, we are serving him. Paul’s point is, no matter how much we give, our heart must be in it. Giving to the poor is not an occasional donation – it’s a habit of the heart, a way of seeing others, with love! ”Lord, when we open our hands to give, open our hearts first, to love others in whom we see your face.”

Saturday Nov 25

“If I give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

Following Jesus can sometimes be costly. Sacrifice is an experience we sign up for when we give our lives to Christ. But the blessings of a faithful life have a condition. That word ‘if’ again. If I do not have love, I gain nothing. All through these verses Paul insists that love for Christ must radiate outwards to love for other folk – the annoying and the lonely, the poor and the hurting, the stranger and the person we sometimes try to avoid. “Lord, show us how to love with a heart schooled in welcome.”

Sunday Nov 26 (Advent Sunday)

“Faith, hope and love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”

Sometimes we know, but act as if we don’t know. Christians know fine well that the barcode of discipleship is that we love one another as Christ loves us. That’s Step One. Then Step Two, love for our neighbour by caring for them. Finally comes Step Three, love for our enemies by doing them good, and forgiving them. Faith is loving trust in Christ. Hope is love looking forward. Love, then, is the faithful and hope-filled life, opened up to the world by the Spirit of the love of God, in Christ.  “Lord, faith hope and love remain, give us such faith and hope that we too will always remain, in your love.”