Tuesday, June 27, 2006
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 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 13:1-3).
IDEA: Love is kind.
Has there been a time in your experience when you have had to stand up for your faith? Where it took courage?
Have you ever felt that you get trapped with the “ordinariness” of the Christian life? In 1 Corinthians 13:4, Paul says that love is basic to the Christian life, and basic to love is patience and kindness.
I. Do you think it is easier to be courageous or to be kind?
Would you agree that courage is sometimes demonstrated in a single act, whereas kindness is demonstrated more as an activity in life.
It’s hard to do the ordinary.
II. How are kindness and patience related to each other?
Patience may be confused with other factors:
Patience can be passive; kindness is active.
Patience by itself can be indifference. We can ignore injustice when it is not directed at us.
Patience may grow out of weariness. I am patient simply because I have no choice.
If I am kind to someone with whom I have been patient, that is a triumph of love. Kindness is active.
God is both patient and kind to the just and to the unjust.
III. Paul combines both heroism and kindness in his service for Christ.
“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true, as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Corinthians 6:3-10).
Without patience and kindness, we can often cause people to stumble.
With patience and kindness, we can often enable people to stand.
Heroism demonstrates that you really believe the truth; patience and kindness make me want to believe the truth.