Loving Prophets

11.13.12

1 Corinthians 14.1 1 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. NASB

Spiritual gifts are divine enablement – God bestows gifts to men to help them execute His will upon the earth. And all gifts are important and all gifts are necessary, and it appears everyone in the Church is gifted in some manner or another. There isn’t, to my understanding, exclusive gifts or exclusive groups, just the presence of God working through all of His people to communicate all of His message to all of the people of the world that He has plenty of room in His house for everyone; and He desires everyone who will, to become a part of His family.

So, God’s people are gifted in order to make His power and presence known to those who either don’t believe who He is, or don’t trust who He is. However, the greatest attribute of the believer/messenger is love. Love will demonstrate substance when nothing else will. And love will bring credibility to the gifts of the believer and the motives of the believer.

Prophecy is the gift of telling. There is also the gift of teaching, which is the gift of explaining, but prophecy is the gift of telling: telling the truth, telling the consequences; telling the story. Prophecy will touch a man’s heart in a very powerful way. Prophecy helps put all the pieces together. When Jesus said, Go into all the world and make disciples – He was commanding His people to go and tell others about Him and how to live in His Kingdom. Prophecy is the gift of telling.

But none of it (or them, in the case of gifts and gifting) means much without love. Paul said, pursue love: it’s elusive and hard to do especially with the unloving unlovable. And love brings a dimension of vulnerability that is very uncomfortable, awkward, and sometimes painful. Love seeks the highest good of someone even when that someone keeps doing things that are hurtful, hateful, and insane (i.e. doing the same dang thing over and over expecting different results).

I think Paul imagined an army of loving prophets telling the goodness of Christ and His Kingdom. I think he knew the weaknesses we carry around with us and our propensity to vaunt self, exact revenge, and write people off. And that’s why he told us to pursue love. If there was ever a prize worth having – it’s love. For God so loved…

And God has pursued me and you. He has pursued us through the “best” of our times and the worst. To be Infinite God means, to know everything there is to know and in that, to know that our best and highest is to know Him. He loves us that much.

Today, my training is in love. My school is in love, and the outcome of my day will be measured by love. And I can’t just love the ones who love me back. Or who look good – or smell good. Or who are well-mannered. Some of the most hurt people are only one love away from the greatest miracle of all: to see God in me and to come to know God for themselves… chase after love Paul, and be a good teller.