What’s love got to do with it?

If there was one big question to ask at the end of the devotion time on Saturday night, it would be this – ‘What’s love got to do with it (Christmas@Orchard)?’

Using the oft-quoted passage taken from 1 Cor 13:1-13, Pastor spoke of the characteristics of what love is as well as what it isn’t. He reminded us that out of all that will remain at the end - faith, hope and love, the greatest among them is love. Why doesn’t faith or hope take centre stage? Isn’t faith or hope in Him more important? Surely acts of faith or remaining steadfast in hope will be more valuable. Yet, the answer is ‘No.’ Because God is love.

It took a while for that reason to sink in. Why is knowing God’s love so important? Why is it even necessary to know for ourselves what God’s love is like? Finally, the answer came. For it is only through knowing God and His love that we can love others and share the message of Christ with them. Because we are the message and not merely messengers, in the interactions with our friends and pre-believers, we are to reflect Jesus and demonstrate God’s love. If at the end of Christmas@Orchard, we have not changed in learning to love more like Jesus did, then this project would have accomplished little and we would have been a loud (resounding) gong.

It was a gaping reminder that in all we do, our motivation must be accompanied by love. If we complete big-scale projects, achieve great acts of faith or even do the impossible; without love, it all counts for nothing.

During ministry time, as Pastor led us in prayer to ask God to open our hearts and receive afresh God’s love for ourselves, the characteristics of God became clearer. It hit home that when He says He loves me, it means He is patient and kind towards me. It also means He does not envy or boast. He will also keep no record of wrongs, nor delight in evil. Instead He will rejoice with the truth and will always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. He will never fail.

Knowing all that, and letting this reality sink into the depths of my being, it became clearer, there is truly nothing that will separate me from the love of God.

Because He keeps no record of wrongs, when He says ‘I forgive you’, He means it.

Because He is patient, He will let me grow up without comparing me to others.

Because He always protects, I am not in danger; be it at my work place where there are circumstances not within my control, or at home where conflicts rear their ugly heads.

Because He does not delight in evil, I know He will correct me when I am in the wrong and I know I cannot get away with the ‘stunts’ I might pull. I need feel neither inferior nor superior because I need not envy others who are ‘more talented’ nor boast before others in order to establish my self-worth.

Because He will never fail me, I know my trust in Him and all that He is, is secure.

Sharing with others about who God is now comes with an increased assurance of my identity and my relationship with Him - I am a daughter of the living God. Nothing changes that.


Ling See
Angela's Clan