While the Bible calls Christians to live by faith and not by sight, most people rely too much on their feelings. When you’re in a good mood, enjoying life and loving others is easier. However, if you let your daily circumstances dictate how you act and behave, love tends to die. In today’s song by Lacey Sturm, she sings about her desire to awaken love.
Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God’s love for us), 1 Corinthians 16:14.
While visiting the Church of Corinth, the wealth of Christians persuaded some to have ulterior motives for loving. This is the reason for the warning in the passage above. Everything you do should be inspired by love. If you want to be true to God, love should be awakened so you can pass it on to others. Knowing what the Bible says without applying it daily is meaningless. Therefore, may Lacey’s song inspire you to awaken love today.
Whenever I have been active in a church, there was always someone around to hold me accountable. If I started to backslide, regress or slip into tempting situations, Christian brothers and sisters felt compelled to correct or rebuke the error of my ways. However, now that most church services have been cancelled, only accessible through live streaming, the body of Christ has been separated. Thus, as I drift closer to my perfectionist past, my love which one shined bright has faded.
And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody), 1 Corinthians 13:2.
As the son of an immigrant, I have inherited several of my father’s traits. While dedication, focus and being serious aren’t bad, I tend to drown out everyone else, like a race horse with blinders on. The lack of a friend to point me in the right direction has hindered my ability to love. Although I may be able to reach others through this blog, the apostle Paul has harsh words for those who fail to demonstrate love. Whatever spiritual gift you possess is designed to be exercised and inspired by love. However, when love is absent, you gain nothing.
Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned orin order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing, 1 Corinthians 13:3.
While reading 1 Corinthians 13 last week, a spirit of conviction consumed my soul. For some reason, I thought I could substitute love with another quality. Instead of putting on love by becoming the hands and feet of Christ, I tried to do this on my own, failing miserably. Reading Bible passages on love has started my recovery, but this doesn’t replace King Solomon’s solution. Proverbs 27:17 uses the analogy of sharpening a sword, suggesting that relationships between Christians sharpen one another. Therefore, if I want to reignite my heart with love, a godly mentor is the answer is restore my love.
Function is the basis for an act, serving as the bridge to your ultimate purpose. Unfortunately, if you find yourself overwhelmed by a hectic schedule, many carry on with their daily routines without any meaningful reflection. Anyone who allows the busyness of life to consume their soul, you may end up as a prime example of form without function.
What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient—genuine faith produces good works, James 2:14.
At some point following his brother’s death, James began to re-evaluate his belief system. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus challenged his tradition view of Judaism. The concept of a Messiah was believed to be part of the end times. Yet, Jesus taught James that faith must be accompanied by good works inspired by love. Without any external change by displaying fruits of the Spirit, you are merely form without function.
If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves,” but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do? 17 So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective], James 2:15-17.
While observing religious practices for most of his life, it appears James was simply going through the motions, without a relationship with God, Romans 10:9-10. Jesus’ lifestyle slowly convicted James’ heart, making him realize that his faith was dead, inoperative. Following the commandments, praying and worshipping God is merely a to do list, a spiritual checklist. Seeing the error of his way, James writes to first century Christians to encourage believers to activate their faith. The love of Jesus is the form in which faith is meant to function. May this lesson revive and rejuvenate your soul.
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