Love with Intentionality
Will you join me in reading this familiar scripture of 1 Corinthians 13? Consider new insights, instruction, or encouragements that the Lord may have for you today.
Meditate on Scripture
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 — 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. 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 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. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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.
Will you read these scripture passages once more with me? Maybe a little slower this time and pause in sections that stick out to you. Allow your heart to linger on these words before rushing to your next task.
Devotional
After reading these passages, I am almost without words. They resonate so deeply, calling out a rich truth that needs to be followed. I am personally humbled and convicted. Can we agree that love, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13, may possibly be more transformative than how ‘love’ is seen around us or even within us? When you normally think about ‘love’ what comes to mind?
It is natural and easy to think about desiring to be loved, seen, and known. This is very important and is a core part of living fully. The scripture passage emphasizes love as an intentional selfless act. It is easy to live in patterns that are comfortable. Thinking, acting, and feeling without intention. I don’t know about you, but activating patience, living without comparison, & withholding grudges does not come naturally. It won’t be a natural way of being, because it is part of the flesh nature within us.
I am reminded that God’s commandments aren’t expectations that we should have achieved by now. Rather, they are responsibilities that we are called to live by with God. He equips & guides us to love well as He walks alongside us.
Reflective Questions
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, shares that spiritual gifts and mighty works are uncomparable to love. Is there an area in your life that may need to be re-prioritized in order to focus on loving others well?
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, what attribute of love stands out to you? Is there an area that you feel compelled to strengthen?
Breath Prayer
Inhale: Lord, teach me — Exhale: To love You & my neighbors fully
Inhale: I will be a vessel of love — Exhale: as Christ commands me to be
Prayer
Lord, You are a Gracious God. Thank you for reminding us what it means to love. You were an example of what love is when you died on the cross and rose again. You gently remind us what it means to live like You, to be disciples of Your Son. It is so easy to get caught up in ourselves and in our fleshly desires that we forget to love well. Father, forgive us for neglecting the importance of loving our neighbors without constraint. Teach us daily to love patiently & kindly without reservation. In Your Name, Amen.
