The Most Excellent Way

(Here's Part 2 of the Chapel address I gave last Wednesday)
 
Our chapel theme for the spring semester is “Our God is a God of Relationships.”  As I was thinking and praying about this theme, I wanted to find a Biblical framework – a Scriptural template -- to help guide us in all our relationships. 

What should our relationships look like?  What are the guiding principles?  If God is a God of Relationships, what does that mean?  

At the risk of oversimplification, I think the answer is pretty obvious:  

 We need to love each other. 

Love.  THAT is the guiding principle.  God’s design for our relationships is that we would love each other. 

There is no better way. 

There is no easier way.

Choose love, and you will be choosing God’s plan for relationships.  

We have made “love” a pretty nebulous term.  We “love” chocolate chip ice cream.  We “love” coffee.  We fall in – and out – of love.  We love our friends.  We love the person we're dating.  And we love God. 

What is love? 

In the New Testament, toward the end of his first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul intentionally drops this incredibly poetic and profound text.

He is writing to a church -- the church located in the city of Corinth.  It is a troubled city  and a troubled church.  It’s important to note, however, that many of the problems plaguing this first century church are problems that we continue to struggle with today.

Paul spent much of his letter addressing the problems in this church.  There were huge divisions among them, and they were taking sides.  Arguments gave way to jealousy.  They were suing each other.  And there was even sexual immorality.  Imagine that – a group of believers, followers of Jesus Christ – struggling with sin, and struggling to get along (note the sarcasm:)

So in this letter Paul is instructing and correcting them.  He gives specific direction in a number of areas, including what they should eat, whether or not they should marry, and how and when they should exercise the various spiritual gifts.

In the middle of all his specific counsel and correction and confrontation– in the middle of all the nitty gritty stuff of life in the church – Paul issues this most profound proclamation:

“And now, I will show you the most excellent way.”

“The Most Excellent Way.” 

And then, Paul describes LOVE.

Not as a feeling.  Not as something you “fall into” or “out of.”  No. 

Love is a choice.  Love is an action.  Love is an act of the will. 

We often hear this passage at weddings as a template for a good marriage.  Indeed it is.  But that was not it’s original intent.  Paul wrote this to the church, to followers of Jesus.  This is how WE are to treat one another.

I only have time to briefly focus on five verses in this chapter, verses 4 – 8.  But I’d like to suggest that these five verses are enough -- MORE than enough.  If we’re looking for a passage of Scripture to help guide us in all our relationships, this is the passage. 

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

  

In this passage, Paul describes both what love IS, and what love is NOT.  What love DOES, and what love DOES NOT do.

Love IS – patient

Love IS – kind

Love is NOT – envious

Love is NOT – boastful

Love is NOT – proud

Love is NOT – rude

Love is NOT – self-seeking

Love is NOT – easily angered

Love DOES NOT – keep a record of wrongs

Love DOES NOT – delight in evil

Love DOES – rejoice with the truth

Love ALWAYS – protects

Love ALWAYS – trusts

Love ALWAYS – hopes

Love ALWAYS – perseveres

Love NEVER – fails

These are choices.  Decisions we make to act, or not act, in a certain way.  Not just once, but over and over again.  Until eventually they become habits.  And then habits become character traits.  Until finally, they become who we are.

And there you have it.  That’s what it means to love one another.  That’s what love looks like – from the Apostle Paul’s point of view – and from God’s point of view. 

We can only love like this in and through the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  It is God’s Spirit – the Holy Spirit – working in us and through us, molding us, transforming us. 

When I try to love others simply with my own human capacity to love, my love always falls short.  My love is always conditional. 

But the more I allow the love of God to fill me and complete me, the better able I am to truly love other people.

It is a lifelong process.  And it is only through God’s grace and mercy – only through the unconditional love and forgiveness extended to me through Christ that I am enabled to even begin to love like this.

And yet, it’s what the Lord is calling all of us to do.  Love God with all our hearts.  And truly love each other.  

Just think what it would be like if all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus reflected this kind of love in all our relationships. 

Just think.

This kind of love brings life.  This kind of love brings healing.  This kind of love brings hope. 

This is the kind of love the world needs.

And these are the kinds of relationships that God is calling us to have.