The Greatest Is Love

image found at: https://4mygodsglory.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/love-god.jpg

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. 2 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. 3 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. 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. 1Corinthians 13:1-8a

One of my students stopped our lesson today to tell me all about how excited she was to go home after school. When I asked why, she said, “Because after school I get to decorate my Valentime's box!” There was going to be tissue paper and special stickers, and she just couldn’t wait!

One of the reasons I think the students get so excited about Valentine's Day is because they really enjoy giving each of their classmates a little treat. They enjoy getting the little cards with their corny jokes and showing each other a little love.

It has me thinking about showing love to others. It’s pretty easy to say the words, but it is not always easy to live it out. And yet, that is what Jesus taught us to do. The greatest commandments, Jesus said, are to love God and love our neighbor (see Matthew 22).

Paul really explains what it looks like to love in 1 Corinthians 13. Love should be patient, kind, protective, trusting, hoping, persevering. Love should not be envious, boastful, proud, dishonoring, self-seeking, easily angered. And Paul says if we do good things, but do them without love, those good things are worthless. Like, really worth nothing. Meaningless. Save your energy because without love it’s just noise.

I have to be honest, I can easily slip into the habit of doing things without love. Sometimes I do things that I know I should do, but in my heart, there is pride and selfishness. There is anger and score-keeping. The “good thing” I do is not an expression of love, but an act done for recognition or to uphold a certain image. Maybe I even do a “good thing” to try to elevate my own status above someone else’s.

I don’t want to be like that. I try really hard not to be like that. But sometimes, I’m like that anyway. And that is not love.

But sometimes I am so overcome by the love Jesus has shown me that I can’t help but show that love to someone else. I want to be the woman patiently waiting in the grocery check-out line with a smile and a bit of conversation. I want to be the one anonymously giving generously to help someone with a need. I want to be the friend that protects others, gives the benefit of the doubt, reacts with grace, and easily lets go if wronged.

I’m definitely not there yet, but God is still working on me. He has shown me so much grace and love -- over and over again! When I remember how God loves me, it makes it much easier to show love to others.

So this “Valentime's” Day, I hope that you receive God’s amazing love! But I also hope that we can all take a minute to show that kind of love to the others around us. What a difference we could make in this world if we could only learn how to be better at loving one another!

Father God, thank You for the gift of Your great love!  Help us to examine our hearts this week and to see our true motives.  Help us to be the kind of people who truly love others as You love.  Make our hearts more like Yours.