FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Monday, September 14th, 2020
Scripture – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Reflection – Is Love Your Priority?
We have wound down our sermon series on ‘Great Relationships’. It is my custom to follow up after a sermon with a few thoughts to remind us of what was said on Sunday, so we might continue with hope and enthusiasm on our path of faith.
Paul says without love, we are a nuisance, we are nothing, and we gain nothing in anything we do. That sounds so harsh. But the evidence supports him in these statements.
Love is a big word, and hard to summarize. But it is most certainly more than a feeling. It is a commitment; to our world, our nation, our community, our families and spouses, and our friends. Having happy relationships where we can count on each other is what makes life worth living. I need to be able to count on people. And I like people being able to count on me.
Sometimes, we think we need to do really big things to show our love. And maybe at times that is good. But honestly, I have become a big fan of what Mother Teresa said when she said, ‘We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love.’
So if you have important or poetic things to say, say them with love. If you have faith enough to move mountains, move them in the service of humanity. And if you have the answers to every question, use those answers to make the world a more loving place. This is how we become a welcome presence in the world, and how our lives become meaningful.
Prayer:
God of meaning, and God of love, through Jesus Christ you gave us a picture of who you are. His Word spoke of your love. His sacrifice demonstrated your love. His miracles fed people to show love. So by his example, help us do everything we do, with an intentionality to increase love in the world. Amen.