Last week, we mailed the quarterly newsletter, and I was so encouraged to look back on the summer and ahead to the fall and winter. Looking back, it was a joy to reflect on all that God has done. Every project is connected to people, and things like the sanctuary renovation were a means that God used to grow our body.
As we studied in 1 Corinthians 13 last week, without love, all of these service projects are empty—meaningless. I am not always sure how to gauge whether I am doing something in love or selfishness, because my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (see Jer. 17:9), but there’s something inside me that tells me when I’m doing something in love or not. I just know, you know?
As we look ahead to the next season, will you test your own heart’s motives against the Scripture? We are preparing for our Christmas play (A Christian Christmas Carol) over the next couple of months, but, boy, what a waste, if all we do it for is ourselves, right?
Those aren’t my words… those are God’s! 1 Corinthians 13:3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.“
You can serve God, come to all church services, give all your money away, help people every day of the year and still profit nothing… without love.
Whoa.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
I have “fake-loved” people before, haven’t you? We all love in different ways—some of you show love by doing things, or giving gifts, or by the words you say—but we all need to make sure our love is not self-love, but biblical charity.
I love you, Church!
–Pastor Ryan