“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

One of the most popular readings at weddings is the chapter about love in 1 Corinthians 13. It says that “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

This love is not just speaking about the love between a husband and wife, but also the love for our fellow man, the love of life and of God’s precepts to live a good life. It is putting love first in everything that we do or our actions mean nothing.

Having love in our hearts will help guide us in our decisions and choices, as well as our dealings with others. It is a good place to start in every endeavor we make, in every challenge we wish to conquer and in every relationship we want to endure.

Man sees our actions and judges us upon what we do. God sees our heart and judges us upon our motives behind what we do. If we love God and make our decisions based upon love for Him and for others, how can we go wrong?

Now, I am not saying that makes every decision easy. Our human nature may fight us — anger, jealousy, vanity, ego all play a part in our decisions from time to time whether we want them to or not. That’s where our love for God comes in because we don’t want to disappoint the One we love.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

If you love God, it is easy to love others.

Make a New Year’s resolution to get closer to God and to ask His guidance at every turn. It will make every resolution after that easier to keep.

Debra Robillard can be reached at drobillard@palltimes.com
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