Love is the one thing that gives us true worth. It’s not our success, talent, good looks, intelligence, accomplishments, or education. Without love, everything else is meaningless.
The Importance of Love in Scripture
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 highlights the essential nature of love:
“If I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or 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.”
Love and Our Actions
This passage from Corinthians makes it clear: no matter what we achieve or how generous we are, without love, it all amounts to nothing. Love is the foundation of our actions and the measure of our true value.
1 John 4:20 says this:
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
1 John 4:7-8, often put to song, emphasizes this:
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
Reflecting on Love
Let’s reflect on our relationships:
- Do we love our brothers and sisters?
- Do we love our spouses?
- Do we love our parents and siblings?
- Do we love our children?
Love in Action
We show God our love by loving those He loves. How do we treat them? Do we show them love or contempt? Do we wait for a perfect moment, perhaps their death or ours, to express love?
What if that moment never comes? Should we wait for all our enemies to die before we decide to allow God to transform us into people of worth?
The Sufficiency of Love
Love is what makes us valuable. Love alone is necessary and sufficient. It is the core of our being and the essence of our existence.
Applying Love in Our Lives
- Practice Patience and Kindness:
- Be patient and kind in your interactions. Small acts of kindness can have a big impact.
- Show Compassion:
- Be empathetic and understanding towards others. Compassion helps bridge gaps and build connections.
- Forgive Freely:
- Holding grudges only harms us. Forgive others as a reflection of the love God has shown us.
- Encourage and Support:
- Lift others up with your words and actions. Be a source of strength and encouragement.
- Act Selflessly:
- Put others’ needs before your own. Selfless love mirrors the love God has for us.
Conclusion
Love is the foundation of our worth. Without it, all our achievements and possessions are meaningless. The Bible teaches us that love is essential for a meaningful life. It’s not just about saying we love God; it’s about showing that love through our actions toward others.
Love your brothers and sisters, spouses, parents, siblings, and children. Show them God’s love through your actions. Don’t wait for the perfect moment—live a life of love now. Love is what gives us true worth and it is both necessary and sufficient for a fulfilling life.
City Blessing Church: An Example of Biblical Love
Around 1984 or 1985, I visited an Indonesian church that friends of mine attended here in Fresno, California called Indonesian Full Gospel Fellowship or IFGF. I found the church amazing, but of course, it was in Indonesian and a Charismatic or tongue-talking church. So I was just visiting and had no intention of staying.
But the people showed such deep love for God and others. Their songs of praise for God, and their deeply caring prayer for people were beyond beautiful. Even so, I was just visiting. Or so I thought.
I was invited to Bible studies where one of the leaders, Christopher Chan, shared with me about speaking in tongues. I had my scriptures ready to go to combat against speaking in tongues. But Chris did not play fair.
Before I could use any of my standard proof texts to oppose speaking in tongues, Chris used those very verses to turn my thinking around on the subject, and my visit with the church turned into nearly 40 years in the church. And I still love that church to this day.
Pastor Paulus Kristanto spent nights praying with me and singing with the guitar. Chris became one of my roommates as he finished his last year of college with a near-perfect 4.0 GPA while ministering. The last I knew, he was a pastor in Seattle Washington.
Since then, IFGF has grown from 4 churches to about 4,000 churches worldwide and divided into two organizations–IFGF as a denomination with headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, and City Blessing Churches which retained the autonomous or non-denominational teachings.
Church cliques and selfishness destroys souls. Love saves souls. The love of Christ, and the love that touches the hearts of people and give them a desire to lead others to Christ.
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