The Walk of Love through the Way of Love
We continue our comparison of the famous LOVE passage in 1 Corinthians 13 with the ONE ANOTHERS found in Scripture as we discover how the way of love helps us to walk in love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;
LOVE does not insist on its own way so WALK caring, serving and showing hospitality to one another.
Seek– zeteo – to require, to demand, to crave, to demand something from someone.
Seeking, craving and demanding my own way is not hard! If you are like me, I find being a creature of comfort and convenience quite natural and easy. I like things to fit my routine, my plans, my schedule, my needs and my expectations. But walking in love removes the “my” because the focus is Christ! This love-walk is the overflow of my love relationship with Christ Jesus and that enables me to serve and show hospitality to others instead of seeking “my way”. But what does it mean to serve, show hospitality and welcome others?
1 Peter 4:8-10
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God ‘s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Romans 15:5-7
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Hospitality – philoxenos – hospitable, loving strangers, a friend of, or kind to strangers.
Serve – diakoneo – to be an attendant, to wait upon; to provide take care of, distribute, the things necessary to sustain life; to take care of the poor and the sick, to attend to anything, that may serve another’s interests
Welcome – proslambano – to take as one’s companion, to take by the hand to lead, to take into one’s heart, to take into friendship, to receive into one’s home.
We serve, welcome and show hospitality by acknowledging people, by commending accomplishments and by expressing affection and gratitude for others.
To serve, welcome and show hospitality requires us to embrace people as they are, whether strong or weak, right or wrong. It is not something we practice only when we “feel” like it or extend only to those who are easy to love and serve. It requires that we serve with a love beyond our natural abilities. It requires a complete dependence upon the Lord as His Spirit expresses love through us. We just become the vessels of His love.
“One measure of our love is our willingness to care for people who aren’t very attractive to us: the whining, griping, passive, angry, and annoying people we try to avoid.” -Julie Clinton, Becoming a Woman of Extraordinary Faith
Is God calling you to welcome or serve someone outside your comfort zone?
Welcoming, serving and showing hospitality is also accomplished as we use our spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ and further God’s kingdom.
Do you know what your spiritual gift is? Are you using it to serve others?
If you’d like to discover your spiritual gift, here is an online assessment you can complete. I know personally, I find great joy and contentment when I am using my spiritual gifts to welcome and serve others.
To serve, welcome and show hospitality to one another in the body of Christ is to commit our resources, time, money, energy and expertise to meet the practical needs of fellow believers and those in need around us.
Who can you welcome, show hospitality or serve today?
Women’s Bible Study Teacher
This post first appeared on the blog, susancady.com, ©2013