Mensa Otabil - Love Is Greater Than Our Actions
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We’re talking about love this week, and we’re in First Corinthians chapter 13. Now we look at verse number three: «And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.»
These are very serious words. In verse 1, Paul says, «If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but have not love, I am nothing.» In verse 2, he says, «If I have faith and can move all mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.» Now he says, «If I give everything that I have, and I even sacrifice myself to be burned, but I have no love, it profits me nothing.» These are very serious words. Paul is saying spiritual gifts, spiritual power, even benevolence-being kind, being generous-if it is done without genuine love, has no real benefit.
So love then must be a very important prerequisite for all our actions, for all our pursuits in life. We learn from this passage that we must develop and operate in genuine love. True love is not just about giving things to people or even sacrificing yourself, because sometimes we can give things to people out of selfishness, and we can sacrifice ourselves for showmanship. Paul is saying, yes, you can do all these good things, and he doesn’t say not to do them; he says to do them, but check the motive. What is the driving force behind what we are doing? Why are you even kind to people? Why do you help people?
Because we all know people who would do good to you and broadcast it to everybody. Everybody gets to know that they are the ones who helped you get a job, paid your rent, or bought something for you. They brag about it and actually want you to serve them for the rest of your life. You wonder, was it really love that motivated it, or was it something else? Paul says you can do all these good things, but God is not just looking at the things we do; neither is he just looking at the gifts we have and the spiritual power we possess. He’s looking at the driving force, and the driving force must be love.
That’s what he says. He also says that if we do all the good deeds-and we must do good deeds and good things for people — if the reason behind it is not love, then it is not profitable; it is not beneficial. We can all testify to people who have done good things in our society, and we ourselves probably have done good things, and people applaud us. But if we really check the hearts of those who did the good things, we may find an ulterior motive that is probably more sinister, more dangerous, and more destructive than the supposed act of love.
So we go deeper in our giving, in our actions, in our attitude, and we have to check our motives. Subsequently, Paul tells us how to check for love. How do I determine whether this is love or not love? When somebody says, «I give you all my heart, I give you all I have, I love you more than the whole world,» how do we check whether that is just word or love? Paul tells us that it’s not even just a feeling; it’s not goosebumps. It’s something deeper than that, and we' ll find that from tomorrow onwards.
I trust that we will continue to do good, but we will do it with a heart of love. We’ll continue to be spiritual, but we will do it with a heart of love. Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, Your love enables me to love others. Let my life be a reflection of Your love. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.