Hello 1nebody,

It is a new week! Thanking God for another day, for the miracle of sleeping and waking up. Your week is blessed, in Jesus name, Amen.

I struggled a little with today’s post. It’s been quite busy at work so, I haven’t had the time to meditate and prepare for today. However, a verse in 1 Corinthians 13 dropped in my spirit a while ago and I want us to read verses 1 to 7 NIV.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.”

Do you truly have love? I want you to look inwardly and ask yourself if you do things because you love God and His people or if it satisfies SELF and there is something in it for you. The most interesting part of this scripture for me is in verse 3 because I find it difficult to imagine that you can do the things described here without love in your heart. You’d imagine that anyone who can do all that definitely loves whoever is on the receiving end. However, it is not so. The verse makes it clear that people do good sometimes so they can boast about it, which I am sure we can all attest to. A common thread in verses 1 to 3 is that love can be mistaken for doing things that only benefit self and not necessarily test your heart for God and others.

Apostle Paul goes on to describe what love truly is: patience, kindness, and humility. These are things you do that put OTHERS in clear consideration and have no direct benefit whatsoever for you. Love according to this scripture gets rid of SELF. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13 KJV). This is love, that you will consider others in spite of your emotions, wants and desires. God does not expect you to do this in your power. Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to love God and people. When we love God first with everything we have; body, mind, soul, and spirit, that love feeds into us and gives us the capacity to love ourselves and others the way God loves us.

God bless,

Dasola