THE WORD
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The passage above is one of my more favorite messages of Paul’s ministry. I realize that when it comes to what he stood for, Paul was a person that was probably rejected all the time; for it was not just in what he believed but how he battled for the equality of man through the love of God. It makes me consider why people are giving Christians bad attitudes: is it us or the gospel? People never knew you before you started letting the word of God lead you. I am sure you may have been well liked and highly favored among people.
Now? As we carry the word of God in us and deliver it to the lost rejection is abundant. We are not liked as we once were, and can now understand what it means to be persecuted for the gospels sake. Bees do not like it when you stir the hive, and people especially do not like feeling uncomfortable hearing the word of God! For those of you who fit into this example, read on with me! Paul said you could speak in the tongues of men and angels, have prophetic words, and know all the mysteries of the word. Most of us have an amazing talent, but need to work on what was addressed next; for he said without love it brings no profit for the kingdom of Heaven! If you let your obedience always be done in Godly love, rejection and persecution will be endured!
PUT INTO PRACTICE
Think about the top 10 people or things that you are praying for. Are they in relevance to personal blessings? Are the prayers only for those you love and not your enemies? Do you withhold prayers for people just because they upset you? Paul’s teaching was groundbreaking because it took religion out of the gifts and callings of God. Through the love of Christ we must learn to love, serve and forgive everyone equally. If you serve God without love you will be leading a very empty spiritual life. Learn to do all things with love, and with this kind of effort God moves mountains and leads us through the dark valleys!