January 3, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in selections from 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)
1 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............Continue Reading
This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible because it always reminds me that at the core of it all is love. The love that God shows for us enough to send his son to die. The love He continuously shows us despite our shortcomings and failures. The love that He possess for us enough to create us, care for us, and plan and eternity in heaven with us.
Because He loved us we should then share that love. Because the example He set forth on what true love looks like we should excel in then giving that love back to those around us. We have the perfect example of true unconditional love meant to be shared and put others first, a love so overwhelming!
1Corinthians 13
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.13.4-7.NIV
The wedding chapter. Perfect time for Paul to let the Corinthian church they were all wrapped up in themselves. At least they were in church. Today everyone in the world is only concerned about themselves and what they can get out of it. The love that pleases God is outward not inward. Putting others before ourselves is a great way to feel overwhelming joy. And these three remain faith. Hope. And love. That will get you through any day
Corinthians 13
When I click on ‘continue reading’ it keeps jumping to Genesis 1. How can I fix this?
Let’s see what Kelly can do Meg!
Hi Meg, Is it just this chapter or all the days?
This love is “the way of life” love. An agape love. Loving the way God loves which is the epitome of Love. This love explained in this chapter can be very challenging. It is perfection at its best. And…without it…we are nothing, just a resounding gong. What a way of putting it, yet powerful!!
The greatest commandment ~
Matthew 22:37-39
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind this is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.
Love makes our lives about other people and not ourselves. And if we had all these skills and abilities and just made them about self promotion, all our efforts would ring hollow in other people’s lives. They would see the knowledge, or the talent, or the miracle, but it would matter far less if it was just about the one who had the ability. And what a great litmus test Paul gives us for love here. People might try to say they are loving, but are they patient and kind? Are they easily angered or keep a record of wrong? See love expresses itself in concrete ways and is more than just words, but should be expressed in action. How often do we hold ourselves up to the light of what love is supposed to be? And how desperately we need God’s influence in our lives to get there. This love is His love and it is only through His Word and His Spirit that it can be produced. And it will be one of the things that remain because relationships will always remain. And where relationships exist, love will be necessary…
1 Corinthians 13
Something different stood out to me when reading this this time. I was thinking about the flesh and the spirit. And all the things that Paul mentions in the beginning – tongues, prophesy, knowledge, etc. are associated with the spirit. I always think of these things as higher, closer to God activities, but even these things are not as great or as telling of one’s relationship with God, than love is.
I see this as the definition of love. If there is ever a question whether I, or someone else is being loving, I can reference this. The world defines love, it seems, as a warm, fuzzy emotional feeling that can come and go. No, “love is patient, love it kind…..”. This is a must -memorize verse.
God shows us the perfect example of love in Christ Jesus. We must always remember how much he loves us and thank him for it, when things are going well in our lives and when things are difficult. Love will always exist so it is important to know what love is and to live our lives out of love for God and for one another. All other things such as prophesy, words and knowledge will pass away when our lives end, and we become complete beings.
Love The excellent way. Not worldly love. I do think I should be checking in with myself a few times a day to see how I am doing in all the areas. It does not mean you are never angry because you can be correcting behavior of children or a wrong belief and because we love them we would correct in love as we are corrected.
All of them