July 23

Pursue Love

"Pursue love..." 1 Corinthians 14:1

We are all familiar with the words of 1 Corinthians 13, the passage ends with the words "and now abideth faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love." How many of us have gone on to read the first verse of the following chapter? It says "Pursue love" The early church had put much emphasis on the gifts of the spirit and especially speaking in tongues, they pursued these things because they felt it was a sign of their spirituality, but in doing so they had lost sight of what the Lord really wished them to be pursuing, love. They had removed their focus from Jesus, who is the embodiment of love and were instead focusing on themselves and the gifts they wished to pursue. Paul was attempting to help them to refocus on what was truly important and lasting, love. What does it mean to pursue love? Many in the world pursue love, but many never find it, because they are looking for love in all the wrong places. It is only when we pursue Jesus Christ that we will find love. We will find a love that is so intense that it laid down its life for us. We will find a friend who is closer than a brother. We will find a Bridegroom who gave His all for His bride. Jesus is love and when we pursue him, we pursue love. The more we focus on our Savior the better will be our understanding of what love is all about. When we seek to live as Christ lived, selflessly, as a servant, we will be living a life of love. This is what Paul meant when he said, "Pursue love".

Father, we thank you that you are love and that you sent your Son to earth that we might see love, your love in action! Help us to put away the childish things of life, the things that bring us glory and rather let us look to Christ and seek to show forth love to all those around us, just as He did, and thus bring you glory instead. Help us to pursue Jesus Christ, that we might truly be pursuing love. Amen