Monday, September 6, 2010

Do Everything in Love!


"Do everything in love!" wrote Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 16:14.
As I came across the above chapter in my daily devotion, the verse stabbed me! It was not an ordinary admonition, but a profound life-changing rebuke.
The church in Corinth was the most troublesome among all the churches in the days of the apostles. Oh, yes. They did possess material wealth in abundance, as well as spiritual gifts. But, something was fundamentally wrong with this church: the gifts of the Holy Spirit were misused, the congregation was divided four ways, the church members had no appropriate honor and understanding of the Holy Communion, and they had not mature in their spiritual life as they should, but remained "infants" in spirit.
It took Apostle Paul two long letters to straighten up the matters in the Corinthian church, teaching them (all over again): Godly wisdom, the true foundation of the church, the basic principles of marital life, the proper application of spiritual gifts, and so forth.
But the last command he wrote down for them, as the sum of all the teachings and exhortation, was the above verse: "Do everything in love!"
These four words stand like a mirror for the churches in our days:
If we have love, we will care for one another and will not be divided.
If we have love, we will use our spiritual gifts appropriately for edification of the church.
If we have love, we will grow and mature in the faith.
If we have love, we will know God and understand His good will and purpose in our lives.
If we have love, we will come to perfection.

Love is the key to everything!

Why do we complain?
Why do we quarrel?
Why do we find our ministry a burden?

Let's examine our foundation: have we done everything out of love, or not?
Jesus founded His church on love. That was why He gave His life as an atoning sacrifice of redemption in exchange for our condemned souls.
Shouldn't we now do the same, building our ministry on our love to Him who has loved us so?

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