Loving In All We Do..

This morning I felt that thinking about love would be good. I was reading Paul's famous chapter on love ad thought that he should have swapped the order of the verses, because he gives the definition of love after talking about operating in love. Here are the same verses, just in a different order, to help us logical thinkers follow his thought:

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 [changed order]

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [8] Love never fails... [1] 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. [2] 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. [3] 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.

In verses 1-3, if I replace love, with the definition of love given in verses 4-8, I find a very interesting meditation on our call to be loving in all we do. Verse one would read something like this:

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but am not patient, kind, humble, honoring, seeking the best for others, peaceful, unwilling to hold a grudge, rejoicing in the truth and speaking only good things, protecting, trusting, hoping and persevering, then I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. Etc.

Oh Lord, help us to be truly loving in all we do, at all times.