A People Set Apart | Men's DevotionalНамуна

The Right Family Dynamic

Alright, listen: this passage, as beautiful as it is, is not for weddings.

That’s not to say that it isn’t an ideal to strive for in the love of our wives; it’s just that this is probably a low bar for romantic love.

This definition of love from 1 Corinthians 13 is supposed to characterize how we feel and treat the person sitting next to us at church!

The famous description of love that we all admire and should (rightfully) work toward is given smack dab in the middle of Paul’s discussion with the church in Corinth about the gifts of the Spirit and how they should be used for the common good of the Body of Christ.

Chapters 12-14 in 1 Corinthians are an extended metaphor about the Body of Christ and how God equips the Body with gifts to serve the other members of the Body.

Smack in the middle, Paul has to talk about love because these gifts, as great as they may be, need to be characterized and controlled by love. That’s how he opens the chapter.

According to Paul, it does not matter what gift he has; if he doesn’t use it in love toward those he is exercising it for, the gift is useless.

While the chapter is longer than these few verses written above, it is worth our time to sit with the characteristics offered in these verses for a moment. We need to ask if these descriptions characterize us. Let’s ask about a few:

Patient: How quickly does our demeanor change in different circumstances?

Kind: Are our words soft and gentle?

Does not envy: Can you honestly rejoice with those who experience good fortune?

Is not easily angered: What sets you off? Does it take a lot to get your temperature up?

Men, by all means, try to treat your wife or girlfriend with this kind of beautiful love! However, next time you sit beside someone in the church, remember that this love is how you should treat them, too.

Prayer: God, thank You for calling us to such high standards. Thank You that the first fruit of the Spirit in our lives is love because we could not live up to this without the Spirit’s help. Amen.

Reflection: Who in your life needs you to love them with this kind of love? How can you work in the Spirit’s power this week to show them love?