Love is....

Here we are in February (the month of love), and as trivial as it may seem, the topic of love is timeless. Not the trivial, material kind of love, but the life-giving, sacrificial love. I am continually amazed by 1 Corinthians 13 and how it challenges all religious pursuits—whether gifts of prophecy, tongues, or serving the poor. All of these pursuits are highlighted in this famous chapter as not just ineffective if not rooted in love, but also a beautiful reminder that all those things are temporary, and only one thing is eternal and lasts forever: LOVE. So why do we try so hard to pursue spiritual gifts as if they are the eternal treasures we will take with us into eternity? The simple test for all of us in our earthly pursuits is: Is it born out of love? There have been some bizarre movements and philosophies circulating in our culture today, all in the name of God, and as we attempt to decipher the spiritual climate, we can always ask ourselves the question: does this seem rooted in love? The love that is defined for us in 1 Corinthians? The love that we see put on display by Christ and his teachings. This simple yet eternal fruit will always be one of our greatest litmus tests!

I think this version of 1 Corinthians 13 from The Passion Translation paints a great word image of this famous chapter.

If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.

And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.

And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value.

Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Perfect Love

Love never stops loving. It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent. Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten. Our present knowledge and our prophecies are but partial, but when love’s perfection arrives, the partial will fade away. When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.

For now we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face. My understanding is incomplete now, but one day I will understand everything, just as everything about me has been fully understood. Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.