1 Corinthians 13 (In Light of Today's Issues) Pt. 2

I do hope that part one was encouraging, thought provoking and/or inspiring to those who have read it.  Without further comments I will dive right into part 2.

vs. 8 "Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless.  But love will last forever!"

The gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues is not nearly as prevalent as it was during the periods of time in which the Bible was written.  Those spiritual gifts are not as needed as they once were now that we have the complete Word of God to read and turn to for instruction and guidance.  Love, however, is just as important and needed now as it was back then.  Love never changes, because God never changes.  You can never love too much.  Loving people is needful in all circumstances and all ministries.  Whatever God has gifted you with, ( *please read- Romans 12 -prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, kindness; 1 Corinthians 12- wise counsel, special knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discernment, speaking tongues, interpreting tongues) use that gift to help others because you love them.  In fact 1 Corinthians 12:7 says "A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other."

vs. 9-10 "Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless."

Nobody knows it all.  In fact we honestly know very little in the grand scheme of all there is to know!  Even the prophets in the Bible did not know everything about what was and is to come.  God gave them partial knowledge of future events for specific purposes but beyond what he allowed them to know, they were clueless. So how can these verses be applied to the issues we have today?  Let's go ahead and read the next couple verses and put it all together.  

vs. 11-12 "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.  But when I grew up, I put away childish things.  Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then (referring back to verse 10 when it says "the time of perfection") we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."

We form opinions about issues and people based on what we hear, see and read.  However, it is literally impossible for us to fully know every detail of everything.  We cannot read minds or understand what goes on in another persons heart.  Only God can do that.  A lot of what we read and listen to is biased opinions or incomplete facts and as such should not be accepted as 100% truth.  Our media has agendas and will twist things in such a manner that it fits their agenda.  We must stop allowing ourselves to fall prey to the hate that has infiltrated our society largely based on what we hear and see and read in the news and social media platforms.  Take it all back to God's Word to see if it lines up with what He says is truth.  Are the things you are reading and watching promote loving one another?  Do they promote forgiveness and kindess and patience?  Or are they promoting the opposite?  Love must be at the forefront of all we say and do.  It must be so ingrained within us that it affects every word we say and everything we do and what choices we make. Give people second and even third chances because you do not know everything.  Extend grace because you need grace as well.  Don't assume you know what is in another person's heart.  Never assume anything!  If you find  you cannot love someone for any reason, then go to God about it in prayer.  Ask Him to help you see them as He does.  Don't get involved in things that will only fuel your hate for a fellow human being.  

vs. 13 "Three things will last forever- faith, hope and love- and the greatest of these is love."

 Our faith in Jesus Christ is what saves us.  Our faith and hope in Him, is what sustains us through the darkest times.  Love is the evidence of that faith and hope.  It is faith and hope in action.  Love is a choice, not a feeling, and we must choose to love God's most precious creation, one another.  We must stop the fighting, the blaming, the finger pointing, and the hurt we are causing one another.  Nothing will get better til we stop these things and start loving people the way God intended.  How can you show love today?  Think of someone you need to forgive, or someone you need to forgive you, and start the conversations.  Reach out in love and lets be the change this world so desperately needs.