And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

When I fully surrendered my life to Christ last summer, I went head first into the mysteries of God. Wanting to have the tongues of fire, seeing the signs and wonders and the move of God. Many times I would ask the Holy Spirit to show me what it was that I needed to know, or what I should do, I kept hearing the word “love”. I was like uhhh that’s too simple, what is it You really want me to do? For a long while I just kept hearing this word.

Now, months later, God has shown me His miracle working hand. God has shown me and I’ve personally experienced His healing, and so many more testimonies. I’ve seen and felt the fire of God in my life.

But what keeps coming back to my mind? Love.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

As Christians, we can make what is simple very complicated. Gaining all the theology and Hermeneutics (Bible Interpretation), or go deep into the power, fire, tongues, etc., but either of these without love is nothing.

So what should we do? We have to go back to our first love.

Because God is love, we should first understand that He does everything out of that which He is. If His love resides in us, then we too can love. And if we are called to be more like Him, we should take this love and give it to God first and others.

There’s a sobering word the Lord gave to the church of Ephesus in Revelation about them leaving their first love.

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.

If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

Revelation 2:2-5

We could be serving in Church, giving gifts to the poor, or suffering for the cause of Christ without loving God or our neighbor as we first did when we came to Christ.

Loving God starts with obeying Him. Loving God is spending time with Him. To love is to know God. If you desire to know Him more, ask for more love.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:7 NIV