What evils do you deplore? My own list includes soap operas, credit card debt, the Texas Lottery, talk radio, Howard Stern, rap music and plastic flowers, to name a few. See what I mean? These are personal prejudices, not necessarily evils …
Here Paul explains what he DOES mean. Love is not some warm-fuzzy feeling. Love means some very practical things: Love is patient--kind--does not envy--does not boast--is not proud--is not rude--is not self-seeking--is not easily angered--keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects--trusts--hopes--perseveres. No sentimental journey here. This is where the rubber meets the road.
Ancient philosophers said that everything is made of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. The movie "The Fifth Element" imagined that there was a fifth element that tied these four together. That fifth most important element was "Love." Maslow, the psychological theorist, said that Love is one of the five basic needs of a human and that to be healthy and happy we need to love and be loved.
Our time and talent figure in to sacrificial giving just as does our treasure. Think about how you give of your time and how you use your God-given talent. God blesses your work every day, not just on Sundays. How you use the time God has given you is, in Paul’s words, a part of your spiritual worship.
Everyone knows the 13th chapter of First Corinthians—the great "Love Chapter" of the Bible. But very few people know the 12th chapter of First Corinthians. That's unfortunate, because the two chapters go together. In the 12th chapter, Paul presents a problem. In the 13th chapter, he presents the answer.
As ludicrous as it sounds, I want to spend our time this morning making the distinction between the things in this life that are truly changed, and those that are merely rearranged. Specifically, I want to consider whether God has called us to be radically different people in this world, or if rearranged is good enough.
Where do you fit? What is your spiritual gift? God is calling you to be a good steward of the gift you have been given. God wants you to "present (yourselves) as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
In Corinth. some folks thought they were better than others. They were not inclusive, so the love of God was not very visible. Therefore, Paul was reminding them that although they weren't all the same, they were still the body of Christ. The only way they could be the body of Christ was to be united.
Personally, I’m a little uncomfortable when someone says, “This is what the Lord told me to do.” I’m like Dr. Fred Edgar who, exercising great tact, would say, “I appreciate your offer, and when the Lord confirms this with me, I’ll let you know.”
The problem in Corinth was that people took pride in their own gifts and demeaned other people's gifts. In many cases, our problem is just the opposite. We admire other peoples' gifts, and demean our own. We know that some people are smart--talented--beautiful. But we feel ordinary—plain—ungifted. But God didn't leave any of us without gifts.