EXAMPLES IN LOVE
Scripture Reading--1 Timothy 4:12
" Let no man despise thy youth;
but be thou an example of the believers,
in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity"
( emphasis added ).
Of all virtues, God says love is superior to the rest. First Corinthians 13 is known as the "love chapter." It speaks about faith and hope but says love excels them both.
Fear, reward, and guilt are factors that provoke others to action. Of all things that motivate us, love is by far the greatest. A young missionary who had surrendered to go to China was asked, "Are you going to China because you have such a great love for the Chinese people?" She replied, "I have no love at all in my heart for the Chinese people, but I have a great love for the Lord Jesus; and He has a great love for the Chinese people." It was her love for Christ that inspired that young person to leave home and family for a strange land. Faith makes all things possible, but love makes all things easy.
Love goes beyond feelings. It would have been more comfortable for that young missionary to stay in her own country with what she was familiar with. Godly love involves sacrifice. It's giving of ourselves for someone else's benefit. Paul said, "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved" ( 2 Cor. 12:15 ). Paul exhausted himself serving those who did not appreciate him. The love of God constrained him to invest his life on their behalf.
Jesus Christ is the greatest example of love. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" ( John 15:13 ). God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die in the sinner's place.
You've heard the saying, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
SCRIPTURE: Read 1 Corinthians 13 and discover the characteristics of agape love.
--Harold Vaughan--
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