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.
Ouch. Sometimes I'd rather be burned at the stake than swallow my pride and love the person that irritates me so badly.
ReplyDeleteNeeded reminder!! It is all about LOVE!!!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Sharon! LOL When we swallow that pride, it can burn so bad it is like being burned alive on the inside. Great blog post!
ReplyDelete"...how we love the most difficult people in our lives is the true gauge of our spiritual condition." Enough said. I will be spending some time reflecting on this statement this week.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sobering truth and makes us think twice about how we treat even the 'least' of these.
ReplyDeleteThis would make a good sermon. There are many in the church who need to be reminded of this truth. Thank you for posting this!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Kinsey, amen!
ReplyDeleteHi Kinsey,
ReplyDeleteTonight the husband and I got into it about something and I was doing the cold polite thing. Later I was reading through some of your blogs and I came to the Burned at the Stake one. Oh dear!
Just thought you'd like to know that-- as a result of reading that post -- God caught one sinner by the scruff of her neck and gave her a little shake.
Being so convicted I dropped the mean girl act and went and said, "Can we be friends again?"
Thanks dear Kinsey.
Fondly, Carolyn