U1A9A@WVNVM (Bernice Tennant) (01/12/90)
1 Corinthians 13: If I had the gift of being able to speak in other languages
without learning them, and could speak in every lanutage there is in all of hea
ven and earth, but didn't love others, I would only be making noise. If I had
the gift of phrophecy and knew all abou what is going to happen in the future,
knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would it do
? Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make
it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love. If I gave everyth
ing I have to poor people, and I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but
didn't love others it would be of no value whatever.
LOVE IS VERY PATIENT and kind, never jealous or envious, boastful or proud, n
ever haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not
irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when
others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever tr
uth wins out. If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the
cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and alwas
ys stand your ground in defending him.
All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but
love goes on forever. Someday prophecy, and speaking in unknown languages, an
d special knowledge--these gifts will disappear. Now we know so little,even wi
th our special gifts, and the preaching of those most gifted is still so poor.
But when we have been made perfect and complete, then the need for these inadeq
uate special gifts will come to an end, and they will disappear.
It's like this: when I was a child I spoke and thought and reasoned as a
child does. But when I became aman my thoughts grew far beyond those of my chi
ldhood, and now I have put away the childish things. In the same way, we can s
ee and understand only a little about God now,as if we were peering at his refl
ection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completenes
s, face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see
everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now.
There are three things that remain--Faith, Hope, and Love--and the greates
t of these is love.