Fruitful LifeSýnishorn

Without love everything is NOTHING?!

First read 1 Corinthians 13:1-5 and Psalm 51:12.

What do you mean, without love all my good deeds are of no use (1 Corinthians 13:1-5)? It is better to make my friends coffee without love than none at all, isn't it? Sometimes you just have to suck it up and do stuff, even without love... why is the Bible so radical in 1 Corinthians?

The question of why we do something good is actually a very intriguing one. There are all kinds of possible motives in the example of making coffee, for instance:

- Maybe next time my friend will also make me a coffee. That would only be fair.

- Hopefully everyone in the office will see how kind I am

- Hmm, actually I would have liked to drink the coffee myself; but my friend is surely at least as happy about it as I am....

If we’re honest, I think we are all familiar with these motivations. And that is completely understandable and human! Just as we are rewarded for our job with money, it would be only fair to be valued accordingly by God or man for our good deeds, right?

Unfortunately, this exact belief is a common reason for dissatisfaction among those who invest a lot in other people or in socially valuable projects. All too often, the hoped-for, perhaps even deserved, appreciation fails to materialize, and this can be extremely frustrating. How can we get around this frustration?

The idea from 1 Corinthians 13, to do everything out of love, sounds so much more fulfilling than needing confirmation from your environment, doesn't it? But how do we get there?

The Bible does not say that we have to fight our way there. On the contrary, it is a gift that the Holy Spirit brings about in us when we ask for it! In Psalm 51, the psalmist prays, "Create in me, God, a clean heart / renew a steadfast spirit within me!"

He has recognized that he needs God's intervention in order to have a truly pure heart in his actions and thoughts, rather than being driven by pride or a desire for approval.

When we ask Him to, God gladly intervenes to help, support, and change us! In fact, this happens anyway when we let the Holy Spirit work in us, as we read in Galatians 5.

The pinnacle of this selfless charity is Jesus. He even let himself be killed for people who will never acknowledge, appreciate, or even believe in Him. He didn't have to do that, but his exuberant love for us moved him to do it anyway. We may choose HIM as an example and experience how the Holy Spirit also makes our motives purer and more based in love.

Next Steps:

Reflect honestly: what is your motivation? Don't say what sounds holy, just be honest with yourself.

Bring to God what still needs to be changed and ask, like David, that He lets HIS Spirit work – HE will accomplish it if you let Him!

Think specifically about what good you can do today out of pure charity.