But have not love

This week I have been thinking about how Paul keeps reminding us that none of our gifts matter if we "have not love." To me, this means that we can be totally gifted or intelligent (fathom all mysteries and knowledge), have incredible faith, or even give everything we own generously but without love as our motivation it means nothing. I have been thinking about it in terms of "it's not what you say, but how you say it." My mom always used to drill into my sister and I that the words that we said were not nearly as powerful as the motivation behind them and the resulting tone. So, as a practical application of this verse, I thought about serving. Some people serve because it is the "right" thing to do, but when they are doing the work, they have a bad attitude. With this bad attitude, the people on the receiving end may feel like they are a charity case rather than the benefitting from the love of Christ shown through the person serving. To go a bit farther, I almost feel like Paul is saying "it doesn't matter how much you do, nothing but love is what matters to Christ." That is, works without love are worthless.

I was reminded this week that I am a child of Christ and am loved by Him. He loves me just as I am--in my eyes broken, but in His eyes a masterpiece. Because I have HIS love, the most perfect unconditional love, how on earth can I keep from sharing it? I think Paul calls us to share Christ's love with those around us through using our gifts but always keeping love as the motivation.

On a somewhat related note, I found out this week that my sister is going to Haiti. Each year her discipleship program does a mission trip and this year they all assumed it would be Brazil (that's where it was last time and the home church is building a satellite church there). They had the students all go on a "technology fast" so they wouldn't find out the real location when they announced it to their families and the church. This year, they are going to Haiti for a week to serve as missionaries and to do work rebuilding. I am so proud because my sister gets to share her passionate love of Christ with the people of Haiti. I am proud because she gets to use her spiritual gifts in practical application, all with the motivation of LOVE.