Leviticus 8-10
Matthew 25:31-46
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love…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…If I give all I possess to the poor…but do not have love…” —1 Corinthians 13:1-3
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul opens by describing three types of people. For simplicity’s sake, we will categorize them as speakers, scholars and social justice warriors. Addressing the speakers, Paul writes, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). If we have the gift of communication and can present information in a compelling way, moving people with our words and they are left in awe of our charisma but it leaves others feeling less-than and we appear condescending, then we are only being a “politician.”
To the scholars, Paul contends, “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” (1 Corinthians 13:2). We could amaze others with our intellect and ability to lob off information and figure out complex problems but if it leaves the rest of the team feeling uncertain about their own contribution or insecure about their abilities, then we have gained nothing.
Finally, Paul says, “If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). As social justice warriors, we could be generous, sacrificial and leading the way in charitable donations, being poured out in the service of others, but if the recipients of our charitable work feel patronized and marginalized and we feel a sense of superiority because of how charitable we are, then we have gained nothing.
While these three personas are different, they share the same pattern: they are all searching for significance. In other words, they are on a quest to impress but in a way that is rooted in their own self-importance.
The search to make something of our life and stand out from the crowd is common to all of us. Our world worships and celebrates it. We love to put it on a platform and make a celebrity out of it, but if the foundations of that quest are rooted in ourselves, then we are set up for an epic failure in our life. Not that working hard and wanting to make something out of our life is a bad thing—by all means, work hard in our career, get educated, expand our knowledge and wisdom, and be generous—but if it is unmoored from the love of God and is rooted in our own ego, then it becomes a quest in futility.
Dear God, may all that I do stem out of Your love. Through my words, my intellect and my actions, I want it to be a reflection of Your love in my life. Thank You, Lord.