My friend and I were discussing the love chapter of 1
Corinthians 13. Our conversation went something like this:
Me : Judy, it’s all about love. It doesn’t matter how many people
I counsel, coach, or guide. It doesn’t matter how well I know
the Bible. It doesn’t matter how many spiritual
disciplines I practice.
If I don’t love it’s nothing but noise.
Like someone banging on a metal trash can. It's just noise,
noise, noise.
J: I
know, Kinsey, but here is what really gets me . . . it says that being burned at
the stake for Jesus doesn’t count! That
is so extreme! That ought to count for
something! Come on!
Me: Right?! You would certainly think so!
But there it is plain as day:
Seriously?
Love is what
matters most to God. How we love others
is the true test of our spiritual condition.
No, scratch that, how we love the
most difficult people in our lives is the true gauge of our spiritual
condition.
Everything is held against God's measuring rod of
love.
Don’t we sometimes think that what we do for God will help
gloss over that unloving attitude toward Sister Toot or Brother Hoot? Surely teaching Sunday school, or serving in
the nursery will stack up some points in our favor?
We certainly hope so, but the truth is that
being burned at the stake is eclipsed by love.
Whoa.
