Love’s Journey to the Cross – Lent Reflections
The Gift of Love, 1 Cor 13 ERV
We continue to countdown the days of Lent towards Easter, as we focus on dying to our selves and living free in Christ, …as we focus on love’s journey to the cross, on how God loves us and calls us to love others. Open your heart to this reflection from 1 Corinthians 13…
13 I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels.
But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal.
2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing.
3 I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.
5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it.
6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth.
7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.
8 Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end…
If you and I do not have love, we have nothing.
…Loving the people in our world can be a major challenge, but of all the spiritual gifts,… they are utterly worthless without love.
We can serve in various ways, but if we serve for any reason other than to show God’s love, our efforts are worthless.
The greatest expression of our walk with Jesus, is how we love. Without love, we are nothing and we gain nothing.
Where are you currently serving within your family and community?
…Are you serving out of God’s love for you?
Or are you serving for people’s approval or validation, or even out of ‘Christian’ duty?
Let us pray for more of His love to flow through His family and into our community…so that people are drawn to Him and not to us.
Only His love can change lives.
Pray…
Dear loving God, with all of the gifts you give us, thank you most for your unending and unconditional love.
Your love reminds us that we need to have love when using our spiritual gifts.
Using our spiritual gifts without love is dangerous and becomes only about building our own kingdoms rather than yours.
Forgive us if we have lost sight of why we serve.
Help us to show genuine love to others around us.
Help us to see how much you love each person in our midst.
Help us to serve out of love and not obligation.
Help us to see that true love is a selfless action and not simply an emotion.
Help us to see that you call us to love without expecting love in return.
God, overwhelm us with your great love so that we can’t help but serve out of your unselfish, and unending love.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Following and Trusting 