Listen:
“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3)
Reflect:
At first, I was wrestling with this passage because so much of my life as a Jesus follower begins with obedience long before my heart follows. Scripture encourages us to practice generosity and care for the poor, but the above passage says if it’s without love then nothing is gained. So, what should come first- the action or the feeling? And if I don’t feel love, should I still give?
Then, it clicked. My confusion around this passage was a direct result of my own misinterpretation of love as a feeling.
Love is not a feeling. The original Greek word used in this passage is Agápē which refers to a deliberate choice to sacrificially serve others without condition and without demanding anything in return. What we do is not as important as the heart we have while we are doing it.
The very last phrase in the verse also struck me, “I would have gained nothing.” I am the one with something to gain. God wastes nothing, so if I give without love, God will still multiply the gift to bless others and to ultimately bring himself glory. The one who misses out is me. Doing and giving with a heart of love is for my own benefit. How generous is our God, the giver of perfect gifts!
Prayer of Response:
“God help us to see people like you see them. Stir our hearts to give generously and to live lives that are poured out for others. Heal and transform the parts of us that may be giving for reasons that do not honor you. No matter how we are feeling in any given moment, help us to be others focused and to love like you love- sacrificially and without condition. Amen.”
Questions to Ponder:
- God, to whom and how much do you want me to give?
- Is there any motive for my giving that is for personal gain or that would be dishonoring to you?
- Am I known (in my family, community, neighborhood, etc.) by my love?
Breath Prayers:
Join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale (Breathe in): May all I do
Exhale (Breathe out): Be done in love.
(Repeat)
—Submitted by Erinne Baker
Erinne and her husband Travis live in Klamath Falls, Oregon where they are raising their four kids: Charlotte(13), Benjamin(10), William(9) and Wyatt (5). She loves Jesus and is committed to following him all the days of her life.