"What's love got to do with it?"
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)
Most of the time we hear 1 Corinthians 13 read at weddings. As sweet & appropriate as that may be, this passage is not about love in marriage. Although, any marriage that displays this type of love will be a good one. It would be better read at worship services &, more importantly, leadership meetings!
This passage is about love in the church. It is how the church should love one another. In most churches, people barely know each other much less love each other this sacrificially.
Jesus said in the gospel of John, "By this will all men know that you are my disciples if you love one another." The one distinguishing mark that helps people know we belong to Jesus is our love. Not our worships services, programs, pastors, or strategies but our love. Not that those things are bad. But if we don't have love, Paul says, "We are nothing." Maybe this is one reason why people who don't know Jesus find the church to be unattractive. We have lost our love!
Does 1 Corinthians 13 sum up how we feel about the church? How can our love better reflect the truth of this passage?
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