Day 32 – The Way of Love

Day 32 – Have you ever wondered what happens when people say and do all the right things but don't really have Jesus in their heart? I have met a lot of REALLY "Christian" non-Christians. Was that confusing enough?! Truth is, there are a lot of people that I have met along the way that are far kinder than many of the Christians that I know. We can do such major damage to our witness by being judgmental. I was really focusing in on this today when I ran across the following scripture.

We all know the love verses in 1 Corinthians 13. I know that I have heard it at countless weddings. However, most of us haven't heard the first three verses leading into it.

"[Love] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

So, then I looked it up in The Message:

The Way of Love

 ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.


Oh, to be referred to as a creaking rusty gate and a clanging cymbal. An even more modern term might be fingernails on the chalkboard. You can make noise in the name of God and try to do things in the right way but if you do not have the love of Jesus inside – then what was it for? Our witness is so critical while we are here but even more so, what are we doing if we aren't sharing that love that God so graciously gives to us and gives us a never ending supply. I can sit and tell you how you should watch your mouth, your actions and so forth but if that love is truly flowing out of us then it should just be natural.
May we continue to go to the true fountain of love and not ever run dry. He will fill our cup and we will not thirst.