I earned almost $3 in my last post regarding my viewpoint in 1 Corinthians 13. Thankful I am because by just a single post, I can now buy some basic necessities for our baby. Yes it is true that we all need love nowadays, everywhere we go and whatever things we do. Love means everything, because when we put love in everything we do, the result is beautiful and meaningful. As what the introductory verses in this chapter, speak about that we are nothing if in everything we do there is no love. Even if you speak in the tongues of men; even if you have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; even if you are rich and you give everything you have and even if you will sacrifice yourself to be burned but have not love, you are nothing.
Love is everything. The moment we start our day, we feel love because we are alive and thankful for the gift of life. The moment we will eat our meals, there is love because you are grateful that God supply all your basic needs. Then we will go to our work, have our break time, take care of our family members, or even by just browsing the internet, I know love is present always.
About my last post, I shared to you what love means: love is patient; it is kind; it does not envy and it is not rude. Now, allow me to continue the other components of love as mentioned in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13:
1. Love does not boast and it is not proud. I am not an arrogant person. I am just a simple and ordinary one. I grew up in a small house, living in one of the remote areas here in the Philippines and my parents are just ordinary. My father is a farmer, carpenter and a tricycle driver while my mother worked as a Barrio or Barangay Treasurer before and a housewife. Thus, I am just a simple boy having an ordinary family background. But what if I grew up in a wealthy family? Maybe it is too hard for me to expreince real love indeed.
Love is not proud in a sense that we become self-reliant or self-dependent on our thoughts, words and actions. We will forget then the real source of love who is God - who is the source of everything and who loved us first. If we are too proud, it will lead then to too much pride that you do not want to be overpowered. Love does not boast, it a natural feeling that we store inside our hearts and will naturally flow outside. When you boast, you put more emphasize on yourself rather than God.
2. It is not self-seeking. Yes, love is selfless. Great example for this is what Jesus did on the cross - He is the son of God, who humbled himself, suffered and offered his precious life for you and me. Wow, what a perfect testimony and example of selfless love. Can we do that? I don’t think so. How can we show our selfless love to others?
I liked and admired those politicians and some government officials who are really a public servant. They prioritized the people, their employees or their subordinates even if they do not have enough time with their family and on their own consumption. My salute to some professionals especially the frontliners now like the nurses and doctors and health workers who put their lives at risk of the virus just to help and cure other people. To the parents out there, who show genuine care and love to their children like letting them eat first even if there is no food left for them. They work striver and harder for the dreams of their children.
Yes I know we can show love to others even to strangers along the way. Like when we give some money and food when we encountered beggars along the way. Like when we let others to go first when it is our time to withdraw our money in a machine or in a grocery store when we allow them to go to the counter first. Please continue doing that not for the sake of the people especially when we are trying to build a good reputation but we will keep doing that for God’s greater glory.
3. It is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. I like this line because anger leads to sin. I remembered those times when we had some miscommunications with my wife, when I got jealous or when she got jealous, I easily got angry and tried to do something for her to got angry in return. When there is love, you can control your emotions even if you are angry. We are humans, it is part that we experience anger at somehow and in some point. Here’s the good thing when we have love inside - we will not easily get angry. When we fully experience God’s love, it is easy for us to forgive the mistakes of others. Some people always look on the negative attitude of a person and the mistakes they committed but please bear in mind we are all not perfect. We must choose to show love then to that person. You will not count and keep hatred in your heart, but little by little and as time goes by, you will learn to release those bitterness and replace those with His love.
4. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Are you that kind of person who becomes happy when someone commits an error or mistakes on his work? Are you happy then if you take the personal belongings like wallet or cell phone from other people? Or will you become happy, when you rob a bank, kidnap someone or might kill a person? Of course not, again love does not delight in evil. As human, we are capable to know what is right and good. We have our own critical thinking and we know the effects of doing this or that. I hope so that we are all humans. Isn’t it? Kidding aside, please seek for the truth and do what is right. True knowledge comes from God’s word so that you will not be in bandage with sin and you become wiser in life. Truth will set you free.
Four viewpoints are coming and I will share those on my next post because I need to focus on my work now. I love writng and sharing my article but of course I love to put dedication and love to my work also. May this day be full of love wherever you are located right now and whatever you do. Remember, love is everything.
Great artical ❤ 💯love is every thing💯