Today’s scripture passage is taken from Paul’s famous love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Perhaps some of you, like me, had this chapter read at your wedding ceremony. At the time I was not a believer, but it seemed to me like good advice to follow when it came to marriage: be kind, be patient with one another, don’t insist on your own way, etc. Two years after our wedding I became a believer in Christ, and since then this chapter has spoken to me in a more significant way.
First, it should be noted that the chapter was written in the context of addressing Spiritual Gifts (chapters 12-14). Paul is telling the Corinthians they are over-emphasizing some gifts over others, such as speaking in tongues, and beyond that, they are forgetting the big picture of what it means to follow Christ.
1 Corinthian 13:1 says, “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol.” Here Paul is pointing out that love should be at the core of who we are and what we do as disciples. Once we make the decision to follow Christ, the bar has been raised. It is no longer good enough to pick and choose when to love or who we should love. Love should permeate all of our actions; the people we follow in traffic (a big challenge for me!), our closest friends, family members, the people we meet in the store, co-workers, etc.
The hard part, of course, is re-training our mind and heart to consistently engage the world in a loving way. How do we do this?
For starters, staying connected with God through scripture is a great first step. Second, a strong prayer life is essential for all of us. I have found that I serve God best after going to Him in prayer, centering myself and listening for direction. In addition, we must become part of a smaller faith community outside of worship that will surround us with other believers who can support, encourage, and challenge us on our journey. The Christian life cannot be lived alone.
The apostle John wrote that everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Our challenge then is to ensure we approach all situations and people with an attitude of love, so we can truly be called children of God.
Correy Trupp serves as Director of Group Life at The Church of the Resurrection.
