Fresh Eyes

I have been contemplating something lately that was reinforced at church today. There are many passages of scripture that are familiar to us. Certain stories, like David and Goliath, Baby Moses in the basket, Jesus turning water into wine, the Rich Young Ruler. We know many by heart, and some have become, sadly, nothing more than children's stories. We are in danger of complacency! We need to see the Bible in a new light, asking the Holy Spirit to give us fresh eyes to see new truth in the familiar words.

One passage i've been thinking about this week is 1 Corinthians 13- the LOVE chapter.

Many people know this as the wedding chapter. Verses that teach us how to treat our spouse, to gain some understanding of how to keep our marriage intact and healthy and growing. I was reading it this week and with "fresh eyes" saw that this is not even a passage meant for the newly wedded couple. It is for the church! It comes after a chapter where Paul is telling the church how important each member is, each with its own part to play, each with their own gifts to serve with. And after talking about how we all fit together as a piece of the puzzle and are so important in our roles, Paul talks about LOVE. He's just finished explaining many of the gifts, and now he is explaining how to USE them.

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing."

1Cor.13:1-3

We can't function as a healthy church body without love. We cannot follow the call of God on our lives and choose to skip out on loving people. It won't work!

Do these words describe the Church??

Patient.

Kind.

Not proud or rude.

Not irritable.

Keeps no record of wrong.

Rejoices in truth.

Never gives up.

Never loses faith.

Is always hopeful.

Endures through every circumstance.

(taken from 1Cor. 13:4-7)
The church is a reflection of Christ. We need to be aware that no matter what we do,we are portraying an image.

Paul was telling us how we can live together, growing in Christ, building each other up, and bringing in new believers! What messages are we sending out to those around us? How much are we allowing Christ to renew us, that we might change this world for Him?

"Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete , but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever- faith, hope, and love- and the greatest of these is love."

1Cor.13:12-13

Loving people, beyond sight and circumstance. Loving others more than we love ourselves. Just think what we could achieve?

One day at a time,

Darcie.