Preparing My Heart
Unconditional, selfless love is not natural. Faith does not come naturally either. If I could draw only from my own well, my bucket would come up mostly (if not entirely) empty. Even so, I still find it too natural to draw these two from my own resources and, failing in that, to give up the quest.
I. Must. Turn. To. God. I am able to love only because He first loved me and shed His love abroad in my heart. But what about faith? Is God also the source of the faith He requires of me? Does the Bible say so?
Making the Bible Personal
Which comes first for me, faith in a person or love for that person?
What do I know about Christian love?
What have others learned about love…from me?
Which characteristics of charity are most fresh in my experience?
Why should I not treat 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as a personal checklist?
Have I rejected anyone’s Christ-like love toward me?
Reviewing Basic Truths
I can love as Jesus requires because of my faith in Him.
Faith is not enough nor is it the greatest.
Neither love nor faith ever fully develop and mature here.
Love will outlast faith.
Applying God’s Word to Me
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This concludes my comments based on the passage for the International Bible Lesson. To read my comments on the alternate lesson developed by Christian Light Publications, click here: The Community of Believers.
excerpted from Panting
