I ain’t got time to be nothing

By Judy Jackson

In March, I introduced a series of blog posts built around Jesus’ profession in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (If you missed the first blog in this series, check it outhere.)

Our goal for these next few weeks is to consider how we should be living so that we may walk in the light of life. Using an acrostic for the word LIGHT as a memory prompter, we look at the how we need to live (spoiler alert: all five are here!)…

A life of LOVE
A life of INTEGRITY
A life of GOODNESS
A life of HUMILITY
A life of TRUTH

Let’s start with life of LOVE.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we can pick up a lot of direction on how to live a life of love. Many people think this chapter is just for newlyweds because it’s read at so many weddings. Personally, I think it ought to be read at leadership meetings, family gatherings, and well, you get the idea … everywhere people get together and interact with each other.

For starters, we’re reminded that when we bust forward in life without love, we are clanging gongs and gonging clangs! We are a bunch of noise, hot air, and probably offending the very people we most intend to serve. In Paul’s words, without love, we are nothing!

I don’t know about you but I ain’t got time to be nothing! My prayer is that my life would point people to Jesus and, in some small way, make an impact for the Kingdom of God. And here Paul is saying that without love, that’s just not going to happen.

I challenge you to go back with me and read the words of 1 Corinthians 13 with this filter … that to live in the light of life, you need to live a life of love, not just with people you like, but with everyone. Paul uses words like patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, not keeping a record of wrongs … always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, always persevering.

Wow! That’s a challenge all in itself, but we’ve got four more letters to go! See you next week for the ‘I’ word: Integrity.

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