1 Corinthians 13:13 (AMP)
13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith-conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope-joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love-true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The world has become more and more cynical with time and we are beginning to realize that the Church has somewhat lost her equilibrium to be a positive impact for good; especially in light of the multitude of evils on display and their advancements to keep this world in confusion while the church holds up within the walls of their building. I'm not saying that she has lost it all and without recovery, but rather she has forgotten her purpose, her meaning for existence and much more seriously she has forgotten her first love. As I consider the years now that I have been serving as a leader in the church I have witnessed just how shallow we have become in our pursuance's that really isolate us instead of expand our influence of God's wonderful grace unto this world.
What I mean is not to sound condescending or even judgmental in this observation, but that I might shed some light on something that has been gravely forgotten. Therefore, there must be a radical adjustment made in what we are continuing to do as a church body and why we are doing the things that we are majoring on. These sensitive questions must be genuinely asked if we are to regain our influence in this world. I know that I am not just being critical when I write these things because anyone with their eyes wide open will agree that something is desperately missing. I have looked around my world and I know you have too and seen the pain in the many faces that you pass by each day. Their faces are not telling the true story for we have become a people presenting a false facade to hide the truth about the real things that are dying inside.
The church has seemingly taken her eyes off the proverbial ball of serving others out of love: and has placed them on the ideas of business achievements, numbers, spiritual displays, or presentations that look spiritual, along with the political advancements that serve its self interests as it deems this is the reason for why it exists. Yet, when we look at the Scriptures we will discover that the church was not well organized through the administration to enforce regulations, rules, and traditions of men; but rather they were unified through a divine love for one another that had seemingly captured their hearts and somehow had everyone motivated to work together even though they were so different in their gifting. There seemed to be a deeper purpose and meaning to life that fashioned them not in a cookie cutter manner, but to be creative and expressive in how they would show their affection one to another in love.
Faith has become the predominate subject that we often hear being expressed in most churches today; and without faith there can genuinely be no pleasing God. Yet, I want you to think about something of great importance that the Bible reveals for our understanding. It teaches us in Galatians 5:6, "That faith works by love." This teaching therefore, is devoted to the undisputable attribute of Christ in us that must be the motivation for everything that we do in Christ. The apostle Paul talked directly on the subject of gifts operating within the church; and their necessity to be established in the church is part of the plan of God within each of us. However, after his much detailed revelation on these necessary equipping tools that he spoke of, Paul did not digress, but rather qualified that every gift that operated outside of being motivated by love was just useless no matter how precise and excellent that that gift was being demonstrated.
The more self-oriented we are, the more controlling we become. When everything in our universe is required to work the way we determine it should be, then we become self-serving and basically we become detached from the love of God to do His will. Today we find more folks that are pursuing self-gratification who simply want to be heard or seen at the expense of others. This is what has become of the gifts in the church. It's more about whose who, or look at my gift. There are pressures being put upon church leadership to allow these folks to operate in these self-manufactured styles of gifts so that people can feel good about their part in the kingdom of God. But when I sit back and study the Scriptures I discover so much of this is just foolishness gone to seed.
Consider these few observations noted from the Bible. Jesus came to this earth not to be served, but to serve. John the Baptist realized the importance that he must decrease that Jesus may increase. No matter where we look in Scripture it always points to laying down your life for another. Prefer your brother over yourself. What you have freely received, freely give. No greater love than this, than a man lay down his life for another. This theme is a constant within the Bible. Therefore, if you or I are to flow in some certain gift that we have received from God it is to be used to build up another, rather than elevate our posture. In Hebrews 10:24 it simply reads, "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." Every place I turn within the Word of God it strikes a repeated chord that we are to empty ourselves that we may become full. Christ became poor that we may become rich. Jesus came to sow Himself for us and give us life and life more abundantly.
Even when we read the letters to the churches in Revelation there is a distinct sound that is most familiar to us all. The busyness of doing business as usual seems to swallow up the meaning of the good work that we entered upon in the first place. We lose touch with its true purposes and intentions, therefore, developing this insensitive cycle of going through the motions. The Word of God is the source for which we live our lives from. 1 John 2:5 reads like this, "But whoso keeps His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that are in Him." Pride is an aspect of the fallen humanity in which we all contend with on a daily basis. Pride is self-seeking when it evolves around itself and for itself. It is a vicious cycle or pattern that shows up in our lives when we refuse to empty ourselves for the better of someone else.
Love: is a light switch that "we" must turn on in every situation of life through obedience in Christ. Darkness on the other hand, is a lesser light that is always on. The good news is that when we turn on the light of love it always extinguishes the present darkness. When we look into the Scriptures we will find that it speaks about standing fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free; and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Gal. 5:1). That word "bondage" is used here as a metaphor regarding fear. When we consider the gifts within the church we must note in its truest sense that it is fear that keeps us from operating in them. No other excuse can be truly presented here for the reason we are not flowing in our particular gifting other than we are afraid.
Galatians 5:5-10 (KJV)
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
We should know from the Word of God that we have not received a spirit of fear: but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, genuine faith operates from a position of love to which it is focused on in order to reach out and assist those who may be captive or in need. Perfect love always casts out fear. That palpitating heart in your chest when the Holy Ghost unction's you to act is actually "fear" resisting that divine unction of the Holy One in you. Recognize that fear presents itself that your focus will be on "you" rather than the love that is wanting to reach out from your life to someone in need through some expressive gift that God has given you. Selfishness is killing the real gifts in the church. The only remedy for this is to be motivated by love towards others. We can't make lasting changes in our lives from a position of selfishness, this is why we must put away the old man and walk in the new man who is born in the likeness of Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:14-15 (KJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Love creates in us a divine boldness that is not self-seeking, but rather the promoting of good in others. When I fully understand how much God loves me then I am able to extend that same love to others even at the expense of mine own well-being. We cannot pretend to have this love in word only, but it must be witnessed by our everyday actions.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (KJV)
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
As you may recall over in Galatians 5:1 we are told to be, "steadfast in the liberty that we have received in Christ and to not be entangled again with the bondage of fear." The devil always wants you and me to be overly concerned about us so we will not consider the one who is at a disadvantage.
Luke 7:11-16 (KJV)
11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
This passage of Scripture shows us something that we will do well to take note of. In verse 13 it tells us that Jesus saw her, and had compassion on her. The dead boy did not move Him to act, but the boy's mother did as He saw her brokenness from the loss of a son. Love: the epitome of Jesus Christ was moved with compassion for a woman that had her heart shattered and it caused Him to turn on a gift within to help her. Jesus didn't raise the boy from the dead to promote His personal ministry. No! Jesus' ministry promoted the love of God that desired to reach out and restore life to those that could not help themselves. This was Jesus Christ's mission: to restore mankind back into right standing with his heavenly Father and regain his family privileges by taking away the sins of the whole world. That divine love of the Father reached out to you and me through the sacrifice of His perfect and only Son. Let me close this devotion with this last reference, though it is in mythical form that it may help us see the depravity of being solely in love with ourselves.
There is a tale of a young boy whose beauty surpassed all that had ever been seen before in the land of Thespia. This young boy was named Narcissus. One day there was a nymph called, Echo, that fell in love with this vain young boy. The river god Cephisus had once encircled Liriope with the windings of his streams, and thus trapping the blue nymph, Liriope, seduced the nymph, who gave birth to an exceptionally beautiful boy. Concerned about the welfare of such a child, Lirope consulted the prophet Tiresias regarding her son's future. Tiresias told the nymph that Narcissus would live to be a ripe old age, "if he didn't come to know himself." When he had reached "his sixteenth year," every youth and girl in the town was in love with him, but he haughtily spurned them all.
One day Narcissus was out hunting deer, Echo stealthily followed the handsome youth through the woods, longing to address him but unable to speak first. When Narcissus finally heard footsteps and shouted "Whose there?" Echo answered "Who's there?" And so it went, until finally Echo showed herself and rushed to embrace the lovely youth. He pulled away from the nymph and vainly told her to leave him alone. Narcissus left Echo heartbroken and she spent the rest of her life in lonely glens, pining away for the love she never knew, until only her voice remained.
Nemesis heard this prayer and sent Narcissus his punishment. He came across a deep pool in the forest, from which he took a drink. As he did, he saw his reflection for the first time in his life and fell in love with the beautiful boy he was looking at, not realizing it was himself. Eventually, after pining away for a while, he realized that the image he saw in the pool was a reflection of himself. Realizing that he could not act upon his love, he tore at his clothes and beat his body, his life force draining out of him. As he died, the bodiless Echo came upon him and felt sorrow and pity. His soul was sent to "the darkest hell" and the narcissus flower grew where he had died. It is said that Narcissus still keeps gazing on his image in the waters of the river.
Now I realize that this is a bit of mythology and has no real origin in the natural other than the imagination of some storyteller. However, its central truth is one that we have elected to cover within this writing on love because it hits the point head on. There is danger when we become self-consumed with ourselves that we like Narcissus become addicted to everything being about us and our affairs. It's a self-love that promotes selfish agendas that leads to isolation and personal devotion to ones own self. No wonder the way to real-life is through the door of willingness to empty ourselves that we may become fully known as we are known by Him who has called us. Man has always tripped over himself in the pursuance of life on his terms. Love: is the motivation to help others when they are in need. Few ever really step into this area on a daily basis, but just the same, it is the path of real life. What motivates the direction and timeline by which you live your life? Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me." Again, we are instructed that if we gain the whole world but lose our soul what have we really gained?
Matthew 25:34-40 (KJV)
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
