Daily Devotion for Lent 2021 - Day 24

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

This may be Paul's manifesto.

This is often a chapter read at weddings.  It doesn't really reflect romantic love but it does emphasize the kind of love to which a marriage should strive if it is going to have any endurance.

Paul, of course, was writing this as a kind of checklist for the early church.  They were having difficulty with posturing.  Who is holier?  Who is more spiritual?  As we consider the spiritual gifts from the previous chapter, Paul is lining out that if these gifts are not improving our relationship with one another, we may not be as holy as we think we are.

Speaking in tongues without love?  Gibberish.

Prophecy?  Faith?  Acts of charity?  Martyrdom?

Are they done in love?

As we consider the greatest commandment of Jesus - to love God and to love neighbor - Paul's writings in this chapter align pretty well with what we should be about.

As we think about our everyday relationships, verses 4-7 indicate how this love is to take shape.  Reading these particular verses is a part of how I start each day.  Sometimes I try to include positive imagery with these by then saying:

I am patient.  I am kind.  I am not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  I do not insist on my own way; I am not irritable or resentful; I do not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoice in the truth.  God help me to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things.  Amen.

After all, if we are not becoming more loving, what are we becoming?

It may be that we believe that there are gulfs between our neighbors or relatives that cannot be bridged.  There may be too many hurt feelings.  Furthermore, we may be afraid of further injury.

I would not ask someone in an unjust situation to bear or endure it without adding the line, "Let me overcome all things."  We remember that Jesus told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  And so allowing abuse is not setting the proper boundaries we need to love ourselves.  

I do believe that relationships can be repaired and healthy boundaries can be set and observed.  But we must rejoice in the truth and the truth is that God does not wish for anyone to be abused.

The difficult question during Lent becomes, "Do I participate in the abuse of others unwittingly?"  This is a question that we may avoid because the discovery can be painful.  We may not intend any harm and yet, there it is.  I don't want to be as blind as the Christians in Corinth who showed many good gifts of the Spirit but neglected to show love.  They had good intentions, too!

Prayer for the day:

Eternal God, love is hard.  When we think about the many difficulties we may face in accomplishing love for all people, we give thanks for your unmerited love of us... and of them.  We often recognize your love for us through the love that others have bestowed upon us.  And we ask, "How will all the difficult people know you love them?"  And we may be afraid of the answer.  Help us to ask anyway.  We pray for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

Photo by Kevin Dooley via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.