... In Love

I went to a private Christian school for my elementary years and one of the requirements throughout the years was the memorization of scripture. It was something I actually liked doing, although I can't say I remember more than 4 or 5 long passages and a handful of verses, but one such passage that "stuck" was 1 Corinthians 13. I'm currently going through that chapter, taking it one verse at a time. I don't know if I have ever done it so slowly before. It affords an almost out of context focus on their meanings. 

Today was verse three: 

"If I give away all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." 

First, it seemed interesting that we could gain anything by surrendering. Why would that be a motivator? Sadly, I'm guessing that humans don't do much of anything without some promise of gain. Paul, the writer, knew that. 

I tabled that thought and went on to the meaning of the word surrender. To surrender is to give up, relinquish, to give all. Jesus surrendered His life. He gave all just so we would see how much He wanted us as siblings, as God's children. He "fought" to the death to win us! He died in love. Without that motive behind His surrender, why should we care?

Imagine if Jesus came in touting, "look what I did. I died for you!" We ask Him why and the response is, "because I'm the greatest!" or "because I wanted to show you that I am the most powerful and no one equals me!" or "because I wanted to kick Satan's butt."

It doesn't do much in the way of showing His love for us. It seems rather stupid and self serving. Why would we wish to emulate someone like that? Why would we want to live our lives for someone only concerned for himself? The gain is all for them. God knows humans too well. He knows we are motivated by gain. 

When Christ died, the gain was all for us. He gave, He lost, He suffered, and He LOVED. We received, we won, we avoid death, and we are LOVED. The only gain for Him was the chance to love us, if we let Him. He gave all just for that, the chance to be with us. 

In the end, it's not about the gain, the loss, the surrender. It's about the love. Without LOVE in our lives, actions, and thoughts, all things are worthless. Nothing is ever worth anything if gained outside of LOVE.