The title of this passage in my ESV Bible is “The Way of Love” and what a powerful passage it is this morning as I continue my study on the word “gain”.
“3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ESV)
I see here that it is with love that I gain and not with anything else. I have to be filled with love. It does not matter what else I acquire or give away, without love I have gained nothing.
Lori and I have number of vehicles in our household, five specifically, and there are only the two of us in the house. Now it would be different if these were financial investments of classic vehicles, but they are not. We, or rather I have just not done anything with them. We have decided to part with two of them in the next short time and both of those instances we are doing so out of love. One of them specifically we have decided to donate for the support of others. Where we could sell that vehicle, donating it will provide a greater value for the needs of others than would be of benefit to me. The other part is that donating it is more of an anonymous act as there is no need to hear the coins in the jar.
To gain fully, it is about the act of love as opposed to the act itself. I have to understand and practice love acts to move forward. I should be giving and receiving in love. Regardless of the turnout for me, I have to remember love. All is done in love of God, others, and myself. I must love and I will not only impact others, but myself and most importantly God.
Yes, you might be thinking that God does not need my love as He is love. That is not true. God needs my love as He is my father. I do not know what I would do without the love of my boys, Bryson and Aarron. And God needs my love as my father. And through love for and from Him I gain more than anyone would know. Without love, there is no gain.
What will you gain? Are you able to do so without love? Thinking of those same things, what if you approached them with love?
Trevor's Thoughts 