Love Has To Be Your Foundation

...Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

The societies that we live in and the communities with which we dwell have lost the meaning of the word love… There are so many people who do not understand what love means and/or what it will do; however, Paul pens in our focus verse today the point that a child of God is defined by love… If love isn’t the center of your motivation to act, then the deeds you do are done in vain… Understand today that Love is more than a word, its’ more than a feeling; love is the ability to go above and beyond, to look beyond faults and extend a hand despite what others may say and/or feel… Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth reminds us again that love has to be the ignition to the fire which leads us to take action… It doesn’t matter how much you give, but that you give in love… It doesn’t matter how much you do, it matters that you do your acts in love not for prestige or repayment… 

What is your intent when you give to someone in need? Are you doing it out of genuine concern, or is it so that everyone around you may see your good deeds and praise you for your efforts? Do you give to those in need expecting something in return, or are you simply wishing to help those who stumble upon hard times? These are the questions that we must ask ourselves as a child of God when it comes to giving and extending a hand… Giving to the poor is indeed a great service, but it loses its value if you’re giving for the wrong reasons… Sacrificing of yourself is truly an awesome commitment, but it is worthless if your sacrifice is in vain… When we think about love we must remember that the bible tells us very clearly that “God is love…” Paul is informing us that when we take part in giving, when we sacrifice, when we extend a hand; make sure that it is for God’s name to be glorified… Make sure that your actions aren’t to promote your own ego, but rather exalt God’s name through your actions! Look at the order of this verse, it talks to giving and sacrifice and then says that it is meaningless without charity… If God is not the center of your life everything is meaningless… If God is not the driving force behind your actions then everything is meaningless! 

Often times we deceive ourselves by material success, we evaluate our relationship with God according to how we have prospered on this earth… Let us look at two quick stories in the bible that speak to the importance of your actions being centered in Love… First, remember when Jesus was approached by the rich young man, the man asked Him what must I do to inherit Eternal Life? Jesus said keep they commandments, the man replied that he had kept the commandments since his youth… Jesus then tells him to sell all his goods to the poor and come and follow Him… At this, the man walks away weeping and never understands the point of Jesus teachings… If this man had kept the commandments, why was he asking Jesus about Eternal Life? He may have lived according to the law, but God was not the center of his life, Jesus told him to sell all he had to see where his priority lied and we see the results of his actions… Today let us learn from the rich young man, understanding that wealth doesn’t get us to heaven, observing the laws of the land don’t get us to heaven, we must accept Jesus Christ as a our personal Lord and Savior and allow the love that He demonstrated on the Cross to flow through us… 

Second, let us look at the widow who gave the two denarius for her offering… When people had given more money than her, Jesus said that she had truly given more than all the rest… She wasn’t giving out of her wealth; she was giving out of her love and humility towards God… She believed in God and wasn’t searching for anything in return, but she gave all she had to Him… Love is sacrifice of self, love is total submission, and love is living by faith… Jesus taught us how to love when He took the form of man, allowed Himself to be mocked and died on the cross… Jesus death wasn’t in vain because He was fulfilling the will of His father… Today Paul reminds us that in all that we do, we must be fulfilling the will of our father… After all, if we aren’t abiding in His love and will, then it doesn’t matter if we give to the poor, it doesn’t matter if we allow our body to be burned; if charity (love) isn’t the foundation than it profits you nothing… I believe Solomon said it best, “meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless… A chasing after the wind…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!