What's Important

All of us, perhaps, have an idea or two which we hold especially dear and just cannot understand why other people are so obtuse that they can’t accept. It’s plain enough, maybe even a belief we find written in Scripture, but they just don’t get it. Regardless of our persuasive arguments, in spite of our careful reasoning, they remain unconvinced.

Notice that Jesus did not say, “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, by your correct doctrine . . . by impeccable lifestyle . . . by your years of Christian experience.” Instead, He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV) If my speaking sounded like the voices of angels, if I understood all the mysteries surrounding the ways of God, even if I knew everything there is to know, but I did not demonstrate love, it would be as useless and irritating as the smoke detector in your kitchen, gone haywire. (I’m paraphrasing I Corinthians 13.)

“While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.” (I Corinthians 8:1 NLT) Is it really so important that we all appreciate the same music in church? Or that everyone is baptized in the same way? Or that we all use or do not use the latest technology in our worship services?
 

L - O - V - E



Not nearly as important as letting people know they are loved.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved