Friday, September 04, 2015

I remember one of the neatest experiences in Bible study I ever had. I was studying the book of 1 Corinthians and came to the well-known 13th chapter, the love chapter. I had memorized this chapter and gone over it so many times I thought there was nothing more for me to learn from it. I almost skipped it and went on to the next chapter, but then I remembered what I had told many others: “Pray and ask God to help you see something you have never seen before.” After praying, I read this familiar chapter and noticed something I never saw before. In the first 3 verses, the personal pronoun “I” is mentioned 8 times, with the concluding result being, “I gain nothing!” Then, in the next four verses, where the characteristics of “agape” love are described, I noticed the personal pronoun “I” is not found at all. The characteristic actions of “agape” love result in the outcome described in verse 8, “Love never fails!” The conclusion I came to was that when “I” or self is dominant, love is missing. When love is present and active, there’s no room for “I” or self. To me, the word, “I”, was an insight word. It opened up this chapter so I understood it in a way I had never seen before. With this new perspective I did an extensive study of the chapter which took me a number of weeks to complete. Ask yourself if your life is described more fully in the first 3 verses or in the next 4 verses of 1 Corinthians 13? Selfless love is produced by the Holy Spirit, and that alone never fails. I’ve never forgotten this experience in Bible study and now look for insight words as I read and study other portions of the Bible.