Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record or wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth…
About a year ago I was given the task in Teaching and Preaching to preach on Corinthians Chapter 13. I knew everything I was suppose to know about Corinthians 13, I read many commentaries on it, I read the “Preaching for Dummies” text book, I even followed the methods my teacher taught us in order to “preach correctly”. I was so ready!!!! I knew exactly where to stand, I knew where to keep my hands and I knew the topic to preach that my professor gave to me. I even went as far to know there was a dress code in order to preach… I wore my Gold three-piece suit that was my Grandfathers from the 70′s. I looked so good, I was man of GOD…NOT I was a man of COG. I went up there with my 3 point sermon, some how, I do not know how my sermon on Love is patient got on the topic and mind set of Christmas… ( I guess I was thinking about Black Friday and how no one is patient around christmas) I started to try my best to preach about christmas, and how no one patient and other most pointless stuff ever. If I took the time to read the passage I was given and not trying to preach the way they showed or the way I was told to preach I may have read this passage more closely. I totally read this passage out of Legalism, I did not to take time to read the words of this passage.
How often do we take the word of God, and beliefs and apply legalism to it… I pay my tithes because the bible tells me too, Oh I don’t lie… because of the 10 commandments and my pastor tells me not too, -OHHHH guess what I got baptized last sunday! why? I was told thats what was “needed” to do in order to go to heaven. I guess I need to read the Bible tonight. ok fifteen minutes then off to the bar! These are just a few issues we face. Now back to my Legalistic sermon, I did not remember much of what was talked about I can tell it was terrible and it had nothing to do with God. I Talked about God, I may even prayed to God but If I actually preached on what I was supposed too then I would have preached differently. I mean the answer was under my nose the whole semester while I prepared for this sermon. Not once does Corinthians 13 say Legalism is patient, or Legalism is kind, But it say LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND. God has been dealing with me lately on the issue of Love and the relationship I have with Him, Jesus asked Peter, “do you Love me?” Peter said, “yes” and Jesus replied, “Then Feed my Sheep”. Peter grew in the Lord and became a great man of God not because he had too but because he Loved the almighty God. If we could grasp this truth that everything you do is because of love and not because you are told to over and over again to do it. Then our way of living will drastically change. Once I got a hold of this and truly, prayed and seeked God for his Love in my life, I became a new creation.Old things passed away, I woke up one morning Praising God for the New Day He has blessed me with, not out of habit but because God loved me so much and has given me so many blessings, why would I not praise Him?. A few nights ago I was done with homework, and decided why not play some video games, I started playing this game for about 5 minutes and my soul started to long for the Presence of God. This love that I have for God has changed my way of life! His Love has Consumed me! I long for the presence of God, it is not a a chore but is a way of life for me. This love from God is incomparable to anything else in this world. His love keeps me going, I read the Bible because I love God, I pay my tithes because I love God, I go to church because I love God, and I am even doing this Blog because of the Love I have with Christ. God’s love in my life has changed my lifestyle and brought me to a new understanding, God said He would give you the desires of your heart, well if your looking to God then He will be the desire of your heart. Corinthians 13:3 states if i give all i possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. I would hate to live the Christian lifestyle out of legalism and have nothing show for it in the end. what I waste! As for me I will take the relationship built on love with God over that any day.
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