The Daily Word

 

We use the words ‘in love’ quite freely and in general we all have an understanding of what that means. Essentially it is when the feelings that you have for another person become stronger that the feelings you have for yourself and all you want to do is to please them even if it means inconveniencing yourself. But when you are ‘in’ something, it could mean you are surrounded by it. And I like that thought and while we are considering aspects of love in 1 Corinthians 13, we could say that we are in love because it is all concerned with the expression of love, stimulated by the love God has for us.

But returning to the first expression above of being in love, we find in the next aspect in v 5 of 1 Corinthians 13,

‘Love is not self-seeking’. That expression is contrary to most of what goes on around us today. ‘I’m alright Jack’ and ‘if it feels right, just do it’ are two phrase that come to mind. While self-seeking may have its reward, it is like being on a treadmill, after you have achieved one element of self-satisfaction, you have to start reaching for the next and so it goes on, never really gaining true life satisfaction.

Someone once put together an acronym for the word ‘JOY’. To achieve joy in your life and true satisfaction, put Jesus first; then Others second and Yourself last. Paul could say, “I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, but not me, Christ lives in me”. Therein lies the key to life in all its fulness and His love will flow out through us!

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church