Love and Value – 1 Corinthians 13:2,3

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (ESV)

My contribution to the world is measured, not in gifts I bring to the table, but in the love I bring to the table.

The prophetic gift that showers us with knowledge, revealing the mysteries of God to desperately needy hearts, is a big impact gift. And so is faith to believe God can do anything and whose power to remove obstacles to life is amazing and needed. But it is not what makes a person valuable in and of itself. We are only something to the degree to which we love others.

Loving others sets the context for the powerful exercise of our spiritual gifts. Communicating the knowledge of God and exercising faith on behalf of others is empty without love. Without love we abuse the exercise of our gifts, doing it for show or to gain power or to abuse. Wanting others to know the truth should only be motivated by love and is most readily received when that is the case. Demonstrating faith reveals a spirit of superiority and disdain for those of lesser faith unless love is motivating it.

And though those who have great knowledge or great faith seem to be of greatest value to the church or any other organization, they are nothing when their gifts are unaccompanied by love. Their value actually shrinks and they do more harm than good.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (ESV)

Reward for self-sacrifice is directly proportional to whether I do it in love or not. No love equals no reward, no matter how great the sacrifice. Love…and no matter how small the sacrifice, the reward is great.

Sacrifice of self for any reason other than love is a waste. The suicide bomber who kills in order to obey God and earn heaven earns only hell. The philanthropist who gives because he longs for some form of immortality, reaps only the fame of hell. The woman who plays the martyr to her family hoping to force their love earns only their disdain.

In essence, every sacrifice that is not really birthed out of love, is a form of manipulation. It is a pathetic effort to buy regard from others and earn merit with God. But God is not persuaded and humans are usually not either. We can feel the subtle or not so subtle pressure of manipulation in our bones. We may be impressed with someone’s sacrifice but we shouldn’t be when it is not really moved by love.