Love never fails

1 Corinthians 13

I've never thought of this before but love needs to be a way of life.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

⁸ Love never fails.

...

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

When I wake in the morning, I am to serve others: my wife and my kids.  During the day when I work I am to serve others and glorify Christ.  When I study the bible or pray it is out of love for Christ.  When bad things happen I am to see how it is the love of Christ and for the glory of Christ.

I think of another verse right now:

[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16

I need more love...for God first and foremost then of course for others.  What is ironic is that today...on Valentine's Day, we need not look any further than God's love for each of us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome Valentine's Day!  You love me and like Pastor Scott said, it is an intentional love and an undescribeable  love - a love so significant that words are insufficient.  Thank You for this great love and this gift...for it is truly undeserved.  Forgive me that I have not loved You with all of my heart nor have I loved others as You desire me to.  Help me love Lord, You and others.  Purify and refine me Lord and transform my heart and my life.

22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable

1 Corinthians 12

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”   ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Verse 22-23 is what strikes me: On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.

I am drawn to think of Dustin and how he is indispensable and we are to treat him with special honor.  I am also drawn to think of others who are to be thought of as indispensable and to be treated with special honor.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus I know that only You are to be treated with the highest honor as You are to be exalted above all.  Yet I know I don't always do this and it can even be said that many times I don't do this.  Please forgive me for my anger at work and my lack of patience.  Purify me of these sins and transform both my heart and my life Lord.  Help me also treat with honor the weaker amongst us, including those with whom I deal with frequently.

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10

³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³² Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ³³ even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 

It is not clear by others that all that I do it is for the glory of God.  It is not even clear by others, particularly non believers, that anything I do is for the glory of God!  Upon self examination, I feel damned!  Now I know that I am not damned, yet I feel somehow very immature in my faith.

How can I do something for the glory of God.  First of all, my actions must glorify God.  Second of all, whatever blessing I may experience I must acknowledge that it is from God.  Thirdly, every trial I may experience I must acknowledge that it is from God.  This is just a start but it begins to get me thinking about how - as encouraged by Paul - I am to "do it all for the glory of God".

My Prayer: Lord, Your works and Your will is perfect.  I have personally experienced Your work and Your hand in my life and I have also experienced Your perfect will in my life as trial turns to blessing.  You are truly amazing and it is amazing that You love me personally as only You can do.  Yet I am broken and I disobey.  You call me to grow and to glorify You - yet I do not.  Please forgive me.  Help me glorify You in all that I do - purify me; transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

1 Corinthians 10

¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  

Key for me is that "[Christ] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

We are to endure temptation.  James expands on this view:

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

James' view (and one that we should share) is that endure is not a word that we should fear or loathe.  Instead we are to welcome opportunities to perfect our faith.  Of course there is a fine line in that we should focus on doing good and glorifying God and through that process we are to be tested and refined.

The challenge then is in James' view as he goes on is to act out our faith:

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 

Bottom line for me is that I will not be tested in my faith unless I ACT out my faith.  God will deliver me from temptation as Paul writes but I must first act out my faith.

My prayer: Lord Jesus, You have refined and purified my faith and I feel strengthened yet I continue to be timid in my faith, acting in ways that display an immaturity in my faith.  I know this is NOT what You desire for me.  Please forgive me for not being bold and help me Lord Jesus so that I can be more bold in my faith as I do want to be tested and refined.  Transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

1 Corinthians 9

I know we are to serve but no where is it more strongly worded in my reading of the bible (which admittedly is still an ongoing process and I have yet to read the entire Bible) to serve.

19 I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Paul goes on...

²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 

I am not only to serve but I am to think of myself as a slave, as my body is not owned by myself as it is owned by Christ Jesus.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Also:

²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28)

The question for me then becomes:
Do I have a servant heart (for all) or do I have a selfish heart?

My Prayer: Lord, I know You died for me as ransom for my sins and to this very day and until the end of time You will love, protect, and teach me (and so on).  I don't deserve this and I am grateful for this undeserving gift.  Please forgive me for my selfish heart and I pray earnestly that you will transform my heart so that I might have a servant heart as Paul does and of course as You do.  Transform my heart and my life Lord Jesus.

He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.

1 Corinthians 3

There are many earthly and worldly matters that I treat with urgency.  But, do I treat my relationship with the Lord with urgency?  Do I live my life with eternity in mind and consequently follow Christ's teachings with urgency. 

No.  I don't.  I am just like those to whom Paul is speaking:

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

At this time, I am concerned that if the appointed time was near what would God say about how I lived my life.  I don't want to know....I simply want to live the life God intends for me.

My Prayer: Lord, Your love for me is amazing yet I don't deserve it.  Please forgive me for being distracted by earthly and worldly matters.  Help me daily fix my eyes on You.  Purify me of my sin and transform my heart and my life.  Help me live life with the end in mind.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 3

We've been talking alot about grace at church and I am challenged to provide grace for another.  Scripture in this chapter reinforces where we should start.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. 

I need to view others as Jesus does and here Paul is saying that each one of God's children is (although he is specifically talking to believers here) of value as God lives in each person.  This is consistent with the parable of the lost sheep:

¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:1-7)

I have people in my life where I live as if I don't value these people.  This is sinful.  At the very least it is sinful that I THINK these people don't have value.

My Prayer: Lord, you are an awesome God...that You love me even though I am broken person and a sinner.  I am unworthy of Your love yet You love me anyway.  Lord, please forgive me for my sin - for my lust and for my wrongful thinking.  There is more and this needs forgiveness too.  All I know is that I need You Lord Jesus Christ.  Help me fix my eyes on You - please purify me of my sin and transform both my heart and my life.