“There are three things that will endure–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor.13:13)
By Michael Adekoya – Dear Reader, a little girl was reading a picture Bible one day and came across a picture of angels. She asked her daddy, “What is the difference between cherubim and seraphim?” Her daddy didn’t know, but he took her to the encyclopedia and they looked for the answer. He discovered the cherubim excelled in knowledge, and seraphim excelled in love. The little girl thought for a minute and said, “When I die, I will be seraphim. I’d rather love God than know everything.”
My friend, that’s true. Love excels knowledge. Paul says, “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.” (1Cor 13:2). My friend, listen! God doesn’t measure you by your gifts, by your education, beauty, popularity, position or by the material possession that you have, people do that. But, He measures you by your love for Him and love for others (Matt. 22:37-39).
In the Body of Christ today, there are some gifted ministers and Christians whom God use to work miracles, deliver riveting sermons or serve as intercessors and workers, but if you get to know them better, you will be disappointed. They love crowds but they seem not to love the people. They will love you as long as they can still use you. In many churches today, there are factions. Some people choose who they love. Are you one of these people? My friend, in your service to God, you’ll meet every kind of people. Some you’ll like, some may not be likeable. But, love takes no notice of such conditions because true love is unconditional. In love, everybody is somebody and important! Jesus is a man of the people. He attracted the worse kind of people. He was found with the publicans, with sinners, even the women on the street (prostitutes) found a friend in Him. He ate with Zacchaeus, the tax collector, the man who defraud people. He embraced both the physical and the spiritual lepers (social outcasts). They discovered love and compassion in Him. He had one main stream that kept Him going. It’s His spotless, unaffected affection for everybody He met, even His worst enemies. He said, “The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Love is a risk but it is worth taking. The Bible says, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear. Brethren, what is your divine assignment on earth? Of all the ways you’ve ever tried to fulfill it, the manifestation of love in you is the one that comes with a guarantee of success, for, it is a more excellent way. When everything else you have tried has failed, remember that covenant love never fails.” (1 Cor 13:4-8). It is a convenient or conditional love that fails, covenant love never fails. Godly and true love is sacrificial and permanent. Jesus said, “…love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12).
My friend, do you love your spouse, family, parents, friends, members of your church, unbelievers, co-workers, neighbours, people in your community, even strangers and your enemies? The truth is, they need to be nurtured and they will be influenced most by those who love them, encourage them, lift them, feed them and make them feel best about themselves. Think of a Christian mother and her child. Her love is constant to her child just as God’s love is to us. Is your love to others based on terms and conditions? What is your motive for loving people? How can you say you love them when you are using them, manipulating them, intimidating them, abusively controlling them, and terrorizing them? God is love. There is no fear in love and love covers a multitude of sins (1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:18, James 5:20). Did you hear that?
My friend, are you a preacher, a minister of the Gospel or a witness of Jesus? It is time to preach the Gospel of Jesus – the Gospel of love – with few words but lots of affection. Whoever wants to preach the Gospel of love must be full of love and bring love to the people. Without love, there is no reason to live. Loveless people can’t preach the Gospel. If they do, it will be a sham and fruitless. As Christians and especially preachers, love must show in every word that proceeds out of our mouth. Obeying the Greatest Commission of Jesus Christ is true love in action. The Bible says, “If we love our brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.” (1 John 3:14).
Love is the test, yardstick and measure of whether we are saved or not. And the depth of love is known by the degree of giving. Do you give your life, time and treasury to God and to others? My friend, don’t be like the little girl who announced on Sunday, on her way home from church, “When I grow up I want to be like the man who stood up in the pulpit today.’ Her delighted mum said, ‘You want to be a minister?’ ‘No.’ she replied, ‘I just want to tell people what to do!” You may smile, but a lot of people want to become authority figures in order to correct people, reveal their weaknesses, despise them, ridicule and reduce them and give them their so-called ‘constructive advice or counsel’. You cannot criticize, antagonize and influence at the same time. It won’t work or effective! Soul winning, preaching, prophecy, counseling, mentorship, charity, discipline, corrections, management or relationship can only succeed in love. End of story! Lust gets and gets but love gives and gives!
The Bible says, “If one…falls (fails, battle weary or lack), the others should reach out and help” (Eccle 4:10). Loving people when you least feel like it and they least deserve it, is when you love like God. That is the kind of love that can actually transform others in the same way that Christ’s love transforms us (Eph 5:25-27).
My friend, we all are loved by God, we should therefore go out of our comfort zones and love others. Freely we have been given, freely we should give. That’s evangelism as Jesus wants it. Our motivation for relationship, ministry, church planting, mission or evangelism should not be money but love. We must allow God’s love to flow through us to others to bless them. Let us love each other and make this world a better place to live. Remain blessed!
Kindly follow us on twitter:@AfricanVoice2
