Let everything you do be done in love (motivated and inspired by God’s love for us). 1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP)
Paul encourages the church in Corinth to do everything “in love”. Love is to regulate all that we do too. Without love we are nothing. Paul says:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NKJV)
He goes on to say:
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NASB)
Love is the key; love is the main thing.
Back in the first century, there was a large gong or cymbal hanging at the entrance of most pagan temples. When people came to worship, they hit the gong to awaken the pagan gods so that they would listen to their prayers. Here, Paul is saying that even if he were so blessed that he could speak with the greatest of eloquence in every language, but didn’t have love, then his life was an useless as this ridiculous act of pounding on a gong to awaken non-existent gods.
Let everything you do be done in love. Love isn’t merely emotion, love is motion. Love does. Love is a verb. John says:
But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has not compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him? 1 John 3:17 (AMP)
Here is a clip of love in action:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (NKJV)
Jesus said to those who followed Him:
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 (NKJV)
How is this possible? “Let everything you do be done in love (motivated and inspired by God’s love for us).” Here’s my prayer:
Lord, teach me how to effectively, creatively, fully experience the conjugation of the verb ‘love’ in my life. Amen