Love Before Unity.

LOVE BEFORE UNITY!
I got woken up this morning with those words. It actually sounded audible, but I wouldn’t say for sure that it was. It definitely was loud, to me, anyway. I was instantly wide awake. And I knew immediately what it meant, because I’d been studying and meditating in the last few days on 1 Corinthians 13… the definition of love. So I read it again, and here’s what I got:

When we think of love, we like to think of wonderful warm feelings of mutual care and compassion, and of unity and like-mindedness. Now, that’s all good and desirable, and that’s where we’re headed as we each become more like Jesus… one in Christ, and Christ in us, and all one in the Father. But when we read the definition of love (charity) in the Bible, it doesn’t start out as a mutual feeling, and it doesn’t start with any hint of unity. It actually starts completely one-sided, when there is no unity, no agreement, no equality, no like-mindedness, and no appreciation.

Let’s start with verse 4: “Charity suffers long, and is kind.” Love keeps on being kind, when suffering some kind of mistreatment; or when being ignored, despised, or rejected… for a l-o-n-g time. Very one-sided.

Then, “charity envies not”. There is no opportunity for envy, unless somebody has something you don’t have… when there’s not equality. Hey… fact of life. Get your eyes on Jesus, our example of sacrifice.

And that’s followed with, “charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up.” That would never be a problem, if you didn’t have, or think you have, something that others don’t have. That could be worldly possessions, or status; or even a special calling, or anointing, or revelation from God. Remember who makes you to differ. (See 1 Corinthians 4:7)

Then verse 5, “[charity] does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own.” That’s most likely to be an issue when it doesn’t look like there’s enough to go around, for everybody to get as much of something as they want or need, so you might have to share.

Next comes, “is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.” That obviously comes into play when someone is doing something to make you mad, intentionally or not; or that just rubs you the wrong way; or at least looks suspicious. No harmony there.

Verse 6 says, “Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.” You’ve got both going on, and you have to discern, and choose one, and reject another. Not all one voice, all in agreement.

Verse 7: “Bears all things.” Bearing something means it’s a burden. Help? Cooperation? Appreciation? …Don’t count on it.

“Believes all things.” That implies that there’s plenty of reason to doubt, but you believe for a certain positive end, in spite of the present contrary evidence.

“Hopes all things.” Hope only operates when something is not seen… when you expect an outcome that cannot be seen at the moment. It might even look impossible (hopeless).

“Endures all things.” It’s pretty clear that this is not about times when everything’s comfortable and cozy, and everybody’s encouraging and supporting you. Just the opposite. Not fair? Doesn’t matter.

Then to cap it off, it says, “Charity never fails.” How could something ever “fail”, if there was no test, or no opposition? Yes, your love will be tested. The real thing won’t fail.

So much for the ‘warm & fuzzies’. This is ‘Sermon On The Mount’ kind of love. It’s work. It’s sacrifice. It often goes against natural wisdom. It’s definitely not about loving those who love you. Sinners can do that!

That difficult love only becomes easy when you have the nature of God Himself! God is love. Love is EASY for God. It’s WHO HE IS! We can see His amazing love, in that while we were His enemies, He gave His only begotten Son, to sacrifice His very life, that all who believe in Him might have eternal life. But He couldn’t help it! He IS love!! There is NO way He could NOT love!

So love is also YOUR nature, if you are born of God. Don’t let the devil, or anyone else, tell you differently! But you still must understand that you don’t take on God’s nature by your own effort, no matter how hard you work at it. No living thing ever matures into something that is not in its nature from the very seed. We must be born of God… His seed… brand new, with His nature in every cell of our being. You can’t have two natures alive at the same time. The old man must die! Dead! Gone! Then we must rise, a new creature in Christ; and make everything about us conform to His image… the image of the One who loved us, even in those times when all of the visible evidence said His sacrifice for us was wasted!

That’s when John 13:35 is fulfilled: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” THEN comes the unity, as Jesus prayed in John 17:21, “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us.”

OK… so what if you’re seeing disagreements, discord, suspicions, envy, opposition, doubt, hopelessness, selfishness, arrogance, ungratefulness? Ahhh-h-h… Perfect opportunity to show God’s kind of love… First! God will do amazing things with that kind of love!