“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.” 1 Corinthians 13:3
One of my life’s goals has always been to live on 10% of my income and to give away 90% to those in need. I have always been a giver and I find great joy in giving to the needs of others. I have never been critical or judgmental of the person I am helping and I have never grumbled or complained about the amount of money I give or the sacrifice it costs me in order to continue to give. I have studied the lives of philanthropists to see how they spread their wealth and I have been fascinated by their incredible attitudes in regards to giving.
But I must say that I understand what Paul is talking about in this Scripture because many of the world’s philanthropists throughout history have not been born again believers and the sad reality is that all their sacrificial giving will amount to nothing on judgment day. You can’t buy your way into heaven and your “good deed” efforts won’t secure a VIP entrance into heaven. There is only one way to get into heaven and that is by believing in Jesus Christ! So all the effort the unbelieving giver puts forth and all the good they do in the world profits them nothing!
For the believer who gives of their finances the sad reality is that their giving won’t amount to anything either if it is not being motivated by love. Do you remember Paul’s words in Philippians 2:3 where he said, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” When anything other than sacrificial love and humility are the motivator for giving it profits you nothing because it is an act of the flesh, not of the Spirit! I came to this harsh revelation years ago when I found myself feeling pretty darn good about myself for being such an incredible giver and the Spirit spoke to me and said, “What you are doing is great but you have received your reward and it is not a lasting one. Learn from me and I will teach you how to have an eternal reward in the earth and in heaven by teaching you how to love first before you give.”
I must say that was a powerful time of instruction because I didn’t want to examine the motive of my heart because I was convinced that my motives were pure and driven by the love of Christ. But isn’t that exactly what the power of deception does? It makes us believe that a lie is truth! But over time I put myself under submission to the Holy Spirit and He broke the spirit of pride that had built up the wall of deception around my heart. What came out of that time of learning has taught me how to love in a whole new way! And now when I give to the needs of others it isn’t so I can reach my own self-made, humanistic goal of living on 10% and giving away 90% but so that I can give complete glory to the only one who deserves honor and His name is Jesus Christ!
But I can tell you that there are great and awesome rewards for the person who gives with love as the motivator! Some of those rewards are physical and some are spiritual but all of them bring long lasting joy and peace to the heart of the love motivated giver! Jesus made us a promise when He said, “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38) The wise man whose sole motivation in life is to love above all else understands the operation of Kingdom dynamics and they experience the promises of God in their personal lives, including the promise in this Scripture!
Something else that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:3 is that even if we sacrifice our own bodies it will profit us nothing if that sacrifice isn’t motivated by love! Jesus told us that, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13) But right before He said this He said, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:9-12)
You see the only sacrifice of ourselves that matters to God is fully accepting His sacrificial love for us! And when we accept that sacrificial love then we can extend it to others and lay down our lives for them. Whether it is laying down our pride, our selfish ambition, our physical bodies, or anything else that resides in our flesh, if it is love motivated, it is authentic and will produce lasting fruit in our lives! All other sacrificial offerings profit us nothing! This is what Paul wants us to understand! Let us join together and pray for one another that we will come to a complete understanding of what love is so that we can make an impact in this world and do what Jesus did during His ministry and even more as He has promised to those who believe in Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment