Useless Without Love

<p>After taking the pieces for my special-order table from the box and laying them out before me, I noticed something wasn&rsquo;t quite right. The beautiful top for the table and other parts were accounted for, but I was lacking one of the legs. Without all of the legs, I couldn&rsquo;t assemble the table, rendering it useless.</p> <p>It&rsquo;s not just tables that are useless when missing one vital piece. In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul reminded his readers that they were missing one essential component. The believers possessed many spiritual gifts but lacked love.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Using exaggerated language to emphasize his point, Paul wrote that even if his readers had <em>all</em> knowledge, if they gave away <em>every single thing</em> they owned, and even if they willingly suffered hardship, without the essential foundation of love, their actions would all amount to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1&ndash;3). Paul encouraged them to always infuse their actions with love, movingly describing the beauty of a love that always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres (vv. 4&ndash;7).</p> <p>As we use our spiritual gifts, perhaps to teach, encourage, or serve in our faith communities, remember that God&rsquo;s design always calls for love. Otherwise, it&rsquo;s like a table missing a leg. It can&rsquo;t achieve the true purpose for which it was designed.</p>