The most important thing is LOVE

Galatians 5:2-6

² Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. ⁴ For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. ⁶ For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

Sometimes we get lost in the weeds about many things in our lives – we focus on the tiny things where we differ from someone else or where we don’t live up to what we wanted to do. It is important to see the big picture too. So, verse 6 in this passage is brilliant. It says, “What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” Living our lives full of love for those around us and for ourselves. That is what Christ’s sacrifice enables us to do.

God’s definition of what love lived out looks like comes from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which says:

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

What a wonderful picture and a great start to our day – to try and live out 1 or more of these aspects today better than we did yesterday.

Dear Lord, thank you so much that you have told us that living our lives full of love is the most important thing. Help us to understand the actions that requires of us – directed toward ourselves as well as everyone else. Help us to grow in our understanding of what love is and how you have given us the capacity to be loving. Help us to accept your love each day and walk that out. Amen

Written by Therese Manning