Day 1
Love:
The Greatest Priority
Higher Love is our theme for this series, and
we find the most concise and powerful presentation of such a higher love in 1
Corinthians 13, often called the “Love Chapter.” Here we find that love is…
The Greatest Priority (12:31-3:3, 13)
It is hard to adequately communicate how
radical this teaching is. Familiarity
with this passage has caused many of us to lose the wonder, to stop
experiencing jaw-dropping shock when we read these words. Perhaps it will help us to see this pictured as our thoughts
regarding “godliness,” our understanding of what a fully devoted follower of
Jesus should be like. This first list is full of thoughts that are “wrong”
according to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3:
I will
know I’m godly if I…
Speak
well about my faith
Know More about the Bible
Have supernatural experiences
Give more sacrificially
Live with absolute conviction
If we gave a quiz in churches throughout our
land, and even around the world, it is likely that what is listed above would
be applauded as an exemplary Christian. When we look at what
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 actually says, it is quite shocking.
If I speak
with the tongues of men
or of angels, but
do not have love, I
an only a
resounding gong or a clanging
symbol. 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 I 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,
These words are spoken in the middle of an
extended teaching on spiritual gifts to a Corinthian church that was very
active and “proud” of their gifts.
They even experienced remarkable manifestations of clearly supernatural
power! Paul brings their gifts into
perspective in chapter 13, where he describes God’s highest vision for their lives, lives
of love. This love is the absolute, best
way (12:31), is superior to all other manifestations and ministries (13:1-3),
is character that is demonstrated in how we relate to one another (13:4-7), and
is the greatest of Christian virtues (13:13).
No matter how great our gifts and even our sacrifices, Paul says,
the failure to make love the top priority renders all else we do as empty.
This is our challenge during Upward Training 2. Our minds need to think more like the second list throughout the course of this series, embracing and living out God’s truth,
that love is the super-abundant most
superior excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31).
How does your thinking about godliness
line up with what is taught in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways has your thinking about love been
stretched so far? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Prayer: Reflecting specifically on this
devotional, write out a prayer to God.
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