Communion and Love: A Believer’s LifestyleSample

Love is supreme

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

There aren’t many passages in the Bible quite like 1 Corinthians 13, which describes the power, glory, and beauty of love so magnificently. Indeed, there is no passage in all of literature quite like 1 Corinthians 13.

The first paragraph uses vivid imagery to underscore that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important to God than love:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

(1 Cor. 13:1–3)

The point? Love is supreme. Love is first. Love is the top priority. Not eloquent speech, sublime prophecy, profound mystery, incredible knowledge, generous giving to the poor, sacrificing your life, nor even amazing faith. No. You can have all of these, but if you don’t have love, you have nothing that really matters to God.

Love is supreme. God wants us to love one another, love our neighbor as ourselves, love people fervently, and actually care about the people around us.

God’s call to you and me is to make love the top priority of our lives. Apart from loving God Himself, nothing matters more than loving our neighbor.

People devote their lives to all kinds of things: a career, house, cars, fitness, hobbies, sports, retirement, knowledge, or education. These are not bad things, but they are not worthy of a human life made for eternity. They are not big enough. Devote your life to loving people. Devote your life to becoming the most loving person you can be. What else is a human life worth?