joyce54aa@swoidup.net
All my life I have heard preachers speak about love. Love is such an important emotion that we connect with it easily. Love is a natural emotion and can be channeled into easily. Charity is a little harder for us to understand. But if we study 1 Corinthians the 13th chapter, it is easy to see the importance of charity.God places great importance on charity. In our society charity seems to linked with the places that we all know about, they ring the bells outside the businesses at Christmas time.
Charity is described in many ways when looked up in the dictionary. I think the one that fits most closely with God's idea of charity, is a kindly and lenient attitude toward others. Our idea of charity is a gift that is tax deductible. When God's idea of charity is far from that. Let me put it this way, if someone I knew had a need in their life. I could give that money to them, or send it away to someone that I don't know. Although helping strangers is an important act, sometimes the need is much closer to home. I think God wants us to do both, but not to forget that sometimes, just like the old saying goes, "charity begins at home."
1 Corinthians Chapter 13, 1:Though I speak with the tongues of man,and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass,or a tinkling cymbal. 2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, I profiteth nothing. 4:Charity suffereth long, and is kind: charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5: Doth not behave itself unseemly,seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6: Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. 7: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8: Charity never faileth:but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there shall be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10: But when that is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.
If we have not charity in our hearts, then everything we do is worthless. God tells us that charity is the greatest of the three, faith, hope and charity. We need to keep the thoughts of charity fresh in our hearts and our lives. For without God's lenient attitude towards us, there would be no salvation. Without His charity, we wouldn't have the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son. God's love toward is filled with love and with charity.
Joyce Balentine Copyright 2007
