50 Shades of Love #1

I Love You.

_{Image: Wikimedia Commons}

We use those words everyday. We say them to our parents, our siblings, friends, lovers and even our pets. But the sad truth is, most of us do not know the real meaning of the word LOVE and what it entails. Hence we abuse it by saying it and then going on to do the exact opposite of love.
What then is Love? The Bible gives a perfect analysis of what Love is in 1 Corinthians 13. Here’s the breakdown…

It begins with how important Love is.

Verse 1

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

No matter how good you are, how educated you are and how eloquent you are, if your words and actions are not backed up by Love, then sadly, the best you are doing is making vain words. You are a rusty gate that is creaking…totally useless and absolutely just noise.

Verse 2

If 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.

The ministers, pastors, reverends, are not spared. When you speak God’s Word, when you teach it anywhere you do, when you perform all those miracles and prophesy everyday, do you do it out of Love? Is there a little part of your heart filled with pride that says they are lucky to have me? Do you do it with a contrite heart and a broken spirit?

The sad thing is, most Ministers of God start out this way… all broken, seeking God’s Presence and His Power in their ministry, but then it gets to a point where they think they have achieved and then the Love attached to their actions disappears and all that is left is pride or self-glory. Their actions are pushed by how they can make themselves look good, go places, become more popular and not because of concern or love for God, His Word and His children, but because of their own selfish gains. If you are one of those, despite the fact that things are working well for you, to God, you are nothing!

Verse 3

If 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.

Now this part right here, most of us are guilty of it. Giving is good and all that, but what is the motive behind your giving? That is the true question.
This next sentence is not going to be nice, you should probably stop reading right here so you don’t become offended.
Do you visit those orphanage homes, give gifts to the poor just so some whale would notice your post about it on steemit and give you massive upvotes? That’s not Love, and doing this you have gotten nowhere.
Posting about it actually is not wrong, the wrong aspect is, if it was what you will gain afterwards was what pushed you to that orphanage home to give. That is the wrong aspect, your motive!
If there was a book recording good deeds, yours won’t be recorded because despite the fact that you gave your all it wasn’t backed by love and is actually nothing!

Do you give to the needy just so they will understand you are above them or so they know they can do nothing without you? Do you give to a beggar on the street just so someone would notice? What exactly is the motive behind those sacrifices you make?

Using Christ as an example, it was obvious He didn't have to come die for us, there were so many instances where He could have abandoned His cause, it was not as if we were actually worth His coming to die for us and we did not even make it easy for Him. But He still did it, not because afterwards we are going to recognize Him as Lord, after all, most of us still do not. He did it because of His Love for us that was unconditional.
No matter what your actions are, it might be good and people would actually benefit from it, and no matter what you believe, probably that good is good, if your actions are not influenced or backed by Love, then sorry it all means nothing.

I’m going to stop right here for this week. Meditate on this throughout this week. Ask yourself, are my actions backed by Love or for my selfish gains?
I will continue from the next verse next week Sunday!
Thanks for reading!