A foundation of Love
“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.” (NIV) 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Why do we serve others? There are probably many reasons that could be listed. Some examples might include: “because I like to impress others” or “because I know that I am supposed to” or “because I want others to think that I’m a good person”. Our passage of scripture today focuses on what God says needs to be at the foundation of everything we do.
This section from 1 Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings and is chosen by the bride and groom because it describes very beautifully what love should look like. There is nothing wrong with reading this scripture at a wedding, but we must remember that these words from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth were not written for weddings but to correct some major issues that were going on in the congregation at that time. Evidently, some members in the church were thinking that they were better than others because of the types of gifts that God had blessed them with. Others, with gifts that were viewed as “less impressive”, were jealous and envious of those who had “better gifts”. With this problem at hand, Paul writes these very powerful words in verses 1-3 that must have struck the hearts of those reading the letter and should still strike our hearts today.
Looking at the verses, we can see three things that are applicable to us today. First, we may use our gifts to serve others but if our motivation for using those gifts isn’t love, our efforts are worth nothing. Second, even though we might be incredibly knowledgeable in the scriptures and have an incredibly strong faith in God if we use these tools with a lack of love, it is all for nothing. Third, even if we are the type of people who are very sacrificial with our bodies and possessions, but our sacrifices are without love, we gain nothing from our giving.
These observations should be very sobering to us because they tell us that it’s possible to look like an amazing Christian on the outside, using our gifts, displaying our smarts and faith, and giving away all that we have but yet all of those things can be worth nothing to God if we aren’t doing them for the right reasons. The Bible is saying that the only motivation that counts when we serve God or others is love. Love must be at the root and foundation of everything we do and if we do not have love first, then nothing else really matters. If we need an example of what love-grounded service should look like, we can see it beautifully outlined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
As Christians, the motivation for everything we do should be out of love. If it isn’t, then our efforts are being wasted before God because we are doing it for the wrong reason. As always, Jesus is the perfect example of serving for the right reasons and as Christians, we can look to Him as our role model. May God bless us as we strive to serve Him and others with love as our motivation!