By Pastor Dr. Shana Wise
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
· It is interesting that the Apostle Paul chose to write about the virtues of love in the
middle of him talking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
· The power of love lies within its characteristics.
· Love earns its respect because it out-trumps everything listed.
· I believe every believer should know their spiritual gift. I also believe that every so often we need to evaluate our love walk in God so that we can walk in our gift effectively.
· The Apostle Paul started off by giving examples of the gift of tongues and prophecy being used without love. To sum it up, he’s stating that it doesn’t matter if you are using your gift if not operating in love.
· We see this daily in the body of Christ, believers not walking in love. They are gifted and talented, but love is not the driving force behind why they are doing what they are doing. The lost do not care how gifted you are, they want to know you generously love God and his children. Love draws people to Christ. Gifts used without love can draw people to that person rather than God.
· Revelation 2:4-6 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
· It is important to Jesus that his body that he left on earth (us), walks on love. When he addresses the seven churches in the book of Revelation, the first church he dealt with was the one lacking in love. Jesus should always be at the center of our ministry (personal, local, and global). When we lose focus of Him, then our gift is not able to be used to glorify God. It becomes stagnate, and ineffective, and we do not grow in it.
· “….and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”. It is possible to have faith in God but not walk in love. I believe that this is a big hindrance to the church today and it’s contributing to the decline in church attendance. Love is what draws the lost and keeps new believers committed to the faith.
· Let’s examine our love walk as it relates to this scripture:
Love is patient
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others,
it is not self-seeking
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects
always trusts
always hopes
always perseveres.
Love never fails
· In verses 8-10, Paul states that the gifts we have will one day cease because we are temporally placed here on earth to fulfill our assignment in Christ. Once we die and go to heaven, we will no longer need these gifts for the purposes of evangelism, because in heaven there will be no sin. We will be beholding Christ for eternality.
· “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face”. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. What do you think Paul was trying to convey in this verse? I believe that he wants believers to mature in their faith in Christ.
· “….And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”.
God is love. Our faith and hope reside in God alone.
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About the Author
Dr. Shana Wise is an ordained Pastor that founded and oversees Wise Choice Ministries with her husband Deacon Ron Wise. She is also the CEO and founder of The Well Christian Women’s Network. Dr. Wise is the author of Women’s Devotionals Acts of Intercession and Chief Women Arise, The Impact of Your Election, and the Basic Ministry Training Manual (all available on Amazon). She received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2019 from St. Thomas Christian University. Her passion is to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, equip others to apply the Word to their lives and demonstrate it through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is a televangelist that appears on social media outlets. Shana is married and has four children.
For speaking engagements email: wisechoiceministries512@gmail.com.
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Acts of Intercession
The Impact of Your Election
Basic Ministry Training Manual
Chief Women Arise
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