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TODAY’S WORD…

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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.

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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.

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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.

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– 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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The love – charity – which God wants us to practice and live by

has nothing to do with selfish desire for physical passionate possession;

nor is it restricted to mere donation of money or goods,

whose motivation is purely humanitarian.

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Love is not to be confused with passion and desire,

nor with sentimentality or mere good fellowship.

Love must also not be confused with that somewhat questionable zeal to help others in order to convince ourselves of how good we are.

That is why if I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body

…but if I didn’t love others,

I would have gained nothing.

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Charity is that love which is to be found in the new order of things established by Christ;

its origin, context and purpose are radically new;

it is born of the love of God for men,

a love so intense that He sacrificed His only-begotten Son.

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“We love because He first loved us.” (1 Jn 4:19)

We Christians are enabled to respond to this love of God

by this gift of the Holy Spirit, charity,

and by virtue of this divine love, we discover God in our neighbour:

we recognise that we are all children of the one Father

and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

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If we are not living by the love that originates from God’s love for us,

then we are not loving God in return,

nor are we truly loving others for His sake.

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The conclusion, therefore, can not be more emphatic:

if I do not live by the love that originates from God’s love for me,

then I would be nothing

and I would have gained nothing.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, help me love like You love and help me gain eternal life.

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