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. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
For the past few weeks, the Lord’s messages to me have been about love. What is love? Why do we love? Who do we love?
Love is something that’s very hard to define yet everyone knows about it. Although everyone seems to know it, sometimes (or rather most of the time) people confuse love with infatuation, that “feeling” that we get when we “fall in love.”
According to the Bible, Love is God. Love originated from God. Love is one of the primary characteristics of God. God’s love is unconditional. God’s love is agape – non-partial, unconditional, gives, and sacrifices. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, we too are capable of loving – loving unconditionally and selflessly.
God sent Jesus Christ to save us because He loves us. And…
We love because He loved us first. – 1 John 4:19
We don’t love because we have to. We don’t love because we have no choice to do so. We don’t love because it is the right thing to do. We love because we are loved and we are created to love. The Lord calls us to love and to be loved. That simple but most of the time we make it so complicated. Love can be as simple as opening a door for someone to dying for someone, like Jesus Christ. Every single day we are challenge by the Lord to love.
These past few weeks, little did I know that the Lord has been challenging me to love. There were so many times were I am put in a situation where I just need to love someone despite all the unreasonable arguments I’ve have with them. There were so many times when my patience was tested. I was put in various situations where I was challenge to help someone, where sometimes I did, but sometimes I did not.
Love does not just simply about “love” for another person. Love is doing everything that we do according to the will of God, for God is love and we are called to love. Love is to love more regardless of what happens.
So who do we love?
Every single person we encounter, everything we encounter, and everywhere we go – there should be love; for God is everywhere and with everyone, and as we are called to love for He loved us and we are created out of love.
“Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’” – Matthew 22:37-39
I call to God. Please assist my efforts to find love. I open to love in all ways. Let love meet me around the next corner. I throw my arms open to love. Amen.
St. Valentine, Pray for us.