And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
And now let me show you the best way.
If I speak in human or angelic tongues,[a] but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
If I have an amazing talent but don’t love myself, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have gifts and wisdom that astonish people and a faith that can move mountains resulting in swarms of followers but don’t love myself I am nothing. If I give everything I have to the poor and intentionally choose hardship so I can help others and set an example for other believers but don’t love myself I have gained nothing
Love is patient so I’ll remember that “fixing” my brokenness is a process and I will gladly focus on taking one step at a time. Love is kind so I won’t beat myself up when I fail. It does not envy so I won’t be jealous or upset if someone else has more “success” than I do. Love does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others and is not self seeking so while I will celebrate and feel good about my “success” I will not lord it over others or think right steps somehow make me better than others. Love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs so when I make mistakes I will not be angry with myself and I will pick things up tomorrow and do the right thing – walking where God leads me. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth so I will focus on the good choices I’m making and not on the bad ones. I will celebrate the truth of the accomplishments recognizing that it is God accomplishing great things in me and I will let God use me to help others accomplish great things as well. Love always protects always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres so I will protect the time I need to make the right choices that help me grow and I will trust the process keeping the end goal and big picture in mind as I go.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
Love never fails. If the new life is about heart change (true love), not symptom relief, it cannot fail. Amazing talent and astonishing wisdom will fade and pass away over time. Human talent and wisdom is limited and time makes everyone equal at the end. We have only limited understanding when we are relying on our own knowledge and ability but as more and more of ourselves is surrendered to Christ the limitations go away. When I was young I was impatient and focused only on the moment. As I have aged and grown I am learning to see the big picture, think outside the moment, and focus on the goal. Now I see potential, then I will see accomplishment. Now I know who I want to be but don’t think I am. Then I will simply be.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
And now these three remain: faith in the process, hope for the outcome and future and love for myself. But the greatest of these is loving myself because as I love myself the process will continue and the hoped for outcome will become reality.
Less of me. More of Him.
-Eric
