The Importance of Love

Have you ever been in a place where someone was trying to play a musical instrument, but to you it sounded more like a cacophony? They thought it was music, but all you heard was noise? Those in my family suffered through that with me when I was learning to play the violin as a child. The first few months were just screeches and scratches.

And something like that can happen in another area of life. The Bible says that we can do things for others, but if we don’t act in love, we are just making noise with our life, instead of a beautiful melody. Listen to these words from the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1–2 – “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

The evidence of Christian maturity is not that we can speak in tongues (an unlearned human language); it’s not that we can prophecy or teach; it’s not that we have mountain-moving faith that gives way to a miracle. Rather, it’s that we love others and that we love Jesus. Christ said that the two greatest commands are to “Love the Lord your God …. and love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). It is worth noting that the first of nine qualities known as the “fruit of the spirit”—marks which demonstrate a spirit-filled and mature Christian life—is “love” (Galatians 5:22).

If love isn’t at the root of what we say and do, our life will just be like noise instead of music. If a ministry we do isn’t motivated and spurred on by love, then not only have we missed the point, but we’ve also failed to accomplish what is truly important. There’s a difference between spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity. You can have a spiritual gift, but if you’re not using your gift in love, then you’re immature. You could be a strong leader, but if you aren’t showing love to the people you are trying to lead, you’re not doing any good. You could be a great teacher, but if you don’t love the people you’re teaching, you’re immature. You could be a great administrator, or a great giver, or great in hospitality. God could heal people and do miracles through you, but if you don’t love the people you minister too, you’re immature.

If love is so important, as Scripture says, we ought to understand more deeply what love looks like so we can act in love. Fortunately, we aren’t left to wonder, we are given a description of what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.”