Last Sunday we had the privilege of having Joe Chong as our speaker. Joe currently serves as an elder at Lifespring, but I’ve also had the privilege of partnering with Joe when we served together as leaders in our youth group. One thing I always enjoy about Joe’s messages is how he shares from his own life–things that God has been teaching him, as Joe grows and learns in his own faith. His message was an encouragement for all of us of the importance of constantly learning and growing in our walk with God. We need the humility to recognize that God’s work in us is never done–we should always be open to learning and growing in every area of our lives.
One part of Joe’s message that especially struck me were the couple of slides he shared based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. The passage says,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.”
One of Joe’s big points was that the love that is described in the verse is not only about the way we are to show love to others. It is also a description of the way God loves us. The love of God is always patient and kind. God is not easily angered and keeps no record of our wrongs. God’s love always protects us, gives us hope, and perseveres. God’s love never fails.
As you may know, our theme for the year is fruitfulness. The first memory verse for this year was from John 15:5-7 that starts this way,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
This idea of remaining in God is central in the passage. Joe’s message was a reminder of a simple but powerful truth: in order to remain in God and be fruitful, we need to receive the love of God just as it’s described in 1 Corinthians 13.
When we know the love of God, we can then reflect the love of God to others. We’re able to love others patiently because we’ve experienced the patient love of God. We’re able to be kind toward others, because God has been kind to us. We’re able to forgive quickly and keep no record of wrongs, because we’ve been forgiven by God who keeps no record of our wrongs. To remain in God is to know the love of God in this way. It’s to stay connected to the love of God that never fails. Then, we’re able to show such love to others, because we have received it ourselves.
While this is a simple truth, it is a profound one that we can never stop growing in. Growing in the knowledge of God’s love is a never-ending journey. It is God’s love that keeps us connected to the vine, anchoring us in every season of life. So just as Joe prayed on Sunday, may we all grow in the knowledge of God’s love, so that we are able to show such love to those around us and to a world in need.