A Roll Up Your Sleeves Kind Of Love.

A Roll Up Your Sleeves Kind Of Love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8aNLT

A recent e-mail asked readers to reflect on the following questions:

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

Name the last five Heinemann trophy winners.

Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.

Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

Name the last 10 World Series winners.

Then as we sit and realize that we don’t know the answers to these questions, another set of questions are asked:

List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Name six heroes whose stories have inspired you.

The point of the e-mail is this: “The people who make a difference in your lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. The people who make a difference in your lives are the ones that care.”

What makes a good marriage? If you’re like nearly 90% of the population, the answer is, being in love. A good marriage, people say, is built on a powerful, romantic attraction, fueled by companionship, and empowered by happiness.

Today, marriage is seen as a bond that’s all about love and intimacy.

Romance is the essential precursor to marriage.

We see it as a requirement; We see it as paramount.

And that is the problem. As you know, marriage, no matter how loving, isn’t a fairytale.

According to therapist, Dan Wile, “Marriage takes sacrifice, hard, work, and the ability to put up with disappointments and cope with frustration.”

Sandwiched between two chapters instructing every reader of spiritual gifts, and their abilities and how these gifts should be used throughout the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes,

1 Corinthians 13:1-7NLT If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8a Love never fails...

When people say, being in love, is the key to marriage, knowingly, or not, they equate it to romance.

If I could understand all languages, but have not love... I was on board a huge jet in Atlanta that crossed the Atlantic, headed for Frankfort Germany. It was at least a 13-hour trip. I noticed that on board were many business men. I noticed that most spoke several languages, and you could easily tell these men prided themselves in their abilities.

However, I noticed that after their learned language contest, and one man was left standing none ever spoke again.

* CECC, we aren’t here just to learn.

* We aren’t here for a faith contest.

* We aren’t here just to get filled up.

-CECC, we are here to love God and love others. We are here to pray, knowing He’s praying for us. We are here to thank Him for His grace, as we give others grace!

1 Corinthians 13:1TPT If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.

Paul states, “Refuse to let your words be hollow. No substance. A clanging cymbal."

When couples rely primarily on romance to support their relationship, the more deluded and disappointed they become.

Powerful fact, When neuroscientist examined the brains of people with romantic love, they found that the areas of the brain involved with decision making, and judgment become impaired.

A person who claims to be truly, deeply, and madly, in love actually activates brain regions associated with delusions, drug cravings, and addiction. Powerful, right?

1 Corinthians 13:2TPT And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.