The post title is also the title of a well-known book, The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis. I have just finished reading this incredible book. And while I can not say I agree with everything Mr. Lewis writes in it, I can say it is by far one the best books I've yet to read; so thought-provoking!
So, while this is an insufficient recommendation, I'd highly recommend you read it.
Here are few of my favorite quotes from The Weight of Glory:
"...it is not so much our time and so much our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves."
"Though the world is slow to forgive, it is quick to forget."
"As St. Paul writes, to have died for valuable men would have been not divine but merely heroic; but God died for sinners. He loved us not because we were lovable, but because He is Love."
"A rejection, or in Scripture's strong language, a crucifixion of the natural self is the passport to everlasting life. Nothing that has not died will be resurrected."
"Neither the individual or the community as popular thought understands them can inherit eternal life, neither the natural self, nor the collective mass, but a new creature."
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
1 Corinthians 13
So, last week in my wonderful writing book for school, one of my lessons was basically the following:
1.) I had to take notes off of the Living Translation's version of 1 Corinthians 13.
2.) I had to use that note outline to write a rough draft of 1 Corinthians 13.
3.) There are other little details I also had to do, but long story short the final draft's result was the following:
While I might speak all the languages one earth, if I don't have love, I only make noise. Not only do I only just make noise, I make useless, maybe even detrimental noise. I could have the gift of prophecy, which would let me foretell the future. If I do not, however, have enduring and everlasting love, what good is it? It's nothing, thus making me a mere human. Standing on the mountain tops, I might even command and move them with my faith. Generously, I could donate my possessions to the poor or be painfully burned at the stake for the sake of the gospel. Without love, though I may speak beautifully in any language or have all the fame I could want, I have nothing.
The following, though, is the nature of real love: love is extraordinarily patient and kind; it is never selfish. Love is not prideful or rude, nor does it demand its own way, though cheerfully lays down it's selfish desires. Love does not show-off. Neither is it irritable. Love is not steaming with revenge, but quite differently, love lets things go and is graciously forgiving. Love hardly notices and simply shakes it off when it is wronged. Therefore, it does not bear the heavy burden of a grudge. An additional thing love does not do is; it doesn't rejoice with or in evil, because love always rejoices with and in truth. Thus, love is righteous. Loving others also consist of being fiercely loyal, thinking positively of others, and defending their cause with a bold firmness. To truly possess the nature of love we must die to ourselves, by making us less and the Lord greater in our lives.
All dear gifts and special powers from the Lord will someday end, but not love. This one thing, as astounding as it may be, is truly everlasting. Eventually, knowledge and things we consider of high value will disappear. They will simply be gone. As humans, we know so little, even with our special blessings. Even the most gifted of God's Children's preaching is actually extremely poor! But one day, God will make His children gloriously and beautifully perfect and whole. When this occurs the need for all things will come to an abrupt end. Thus, we who claim to know Christ, must love like Christ; for He is The Everlasting.
An analogy could be the following: When I was a child, I, naturally, lived and thought as such. When I became a man, I, naturally, behaved and thought as such. Similarly, we now know only a little about The Creator. Though the view is poor now, someday we'll see all His greatness. Not only will we see it, as Children of His, we will see our Father face to face! So, though things are now hazy, one day it will be clearer than we ever imagined. We will see His completeness just as clearly as the Lord sees our hearts at this moment! Faith, hope, and love; these are the three divine things that remain. Though we are not take lightly the fact that the greatest and most essential is love. This is only a faint and incomplete picture of Christ's love; as imitators of Him we must love the same!
I have been thoroughly challenged and so much more through this passage over the years. This particular lesson in writing was a true challenge and eye-opener to me; God can bless us even through writing! How amazing!
I am only learning myself, thus what I wrote off of 1 Corinthians 13 is not perfect. Though I do hope you can learn from it, also.
I hope this will inspire you to dig deeper into The word and listen to what The Father has to say to you through it!
The following is the Amplified version of this passage, and this particular version's definitions in 1 Corinthians 13 has been, for several days, a tremendous inspiration and so much more to me. I hope it's vivid descriptions will be a help to people reading this!
1IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths andmysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). 3Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing. 4Love endures long andis patient and kind; love never is envious norboils over with jealousy, is not boastful orvainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) anddoes not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights orits own way,forit is not self-seeking; it is not touchy orfretful orresentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].6It does not rejoice at injustice andunrighteousness, but rejoices when right andtruth prevail. 7Love bears up under anything andeverything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled andpass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed andcease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]. 9For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). 10But when the complete andperfect (total) comes, the incomplete andimperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded). 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways andhave put them aside. 12For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality andface to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know andunderstand fully andclearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully andclearly known andunderstood [by God]. 13And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.-1 Corinthians 13 AMP
"He loved us not because we were lovable, but because He is Love."-C.S. Lewis
1.) I had to take notes off of the Living Translation's version of 1 Corinthians 13.
2.) I had to use that note outline to write a rough draft of 1 Corinthians 13.
3.) There are other little details I also had to do, but long story short the final draft's result was the following:
While I might speak all the languages one earth, if I don't have love, I only make noise. Not only do I only just make noise, I make useless, maybe even detrimental noise. I could have the gift of prophecy, which would let me foretell the future. If I do not, however, have enduring and everlasting love, what good is it? It's nothing, thus making me a mere human. Standing on the mountain tops, I might even command and move them with my faith. Generously, I could donate my possessions to the poor or be painfully burned at the stake for the sake of the gospel. Without love, though I may speak beautifully in any language or have all the fame I could want, I have nothing.
The following, though, is the nature of real love: love is extraordinarily patient and kind; it is never selfish. Love is not prideful or rude, nor does it demand its own way, though cheerfully lays down it's selfish desires. Love does not show-off. Neither is it irritable. Love is not steaming with revenge, but quite differently, love lets things go and is graciously forgiving. Love hardly notices and simply shakes it off when it is wronged. Therefore, it does not bear the heavy burden of a grudge. An additional thing love does not do is; it doesn't rejoice with or in evil, because love always rejoices with and in truth. Thus, love is righteous. Loving others also consist of being fiercely loyal, thinking positively of others, and defending their cause with a bold firmness. To truly possess the nature of love we must die to ourselves, by making us less and the Lord greater in our lives.
All dear gifts and special powers from the Lord will someday end, but not love. This one thing, as astounding as it may be, is truly everlasting. Eventually, knowledge and things we consider of high value will disappear. They will simply be gone. As humans, we know so little, even with our special blessings. Even the most gifted of God's Children's preaching is actually extremely poor! But one day, God will make His children gloriously and beautifully perfect and whole. When this occurs the need for all things will come to an abrupt end. Thus, we who claim to know Christ, must love like Christ; for He is The Everlasting.
An analogy could be the following: When I was a child, I, naturally, lived and thought as such. When I became a man, I, naturally, behaved and thought as such. Similarly, we now know only a little about The Creator. Though the view is poor now, someday we'll see all His greatness. Not only will we see it, as Children of His, we will see our Father face to face! So, though things are now hazy, one day it will be clearer than we ever imagined. We will see His completeness just as clearly as the Lord sees our hearts at this moment! Faith, hope, and love; these are the three divine things that remain. Though we are not take lightly the fact that the greatest and most essential is love. This is only a faint and incomplete picture of Christ's love; as imitators of Him we must love the same!
I have been thoroughly challenged and so much more through this passage over the years. This particular lesson in writing was a true challenge and eye-opener to me; God can bless us even through writing! How amazing!
I am only learning myself, thus what I wrote off of 1 Corinthians 13 is not perfect. Though I do hope you can learn from it, also.
I hope this will inspire you to dig deeper into The word and listen to what The Father has to say to you through it!
The following is the Amplified version of this passage, and this particular version's definitions in 1 Corinthians 13 has been, for several days, a tremendous inspiration and so much more to me. I hope it's vivid descriptions will be a help to people reading this!
1IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths andmysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). 3Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing. 4Love endures long andis patient and kind; love never is envious norboils over with jealousy, is not boastful orvainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) anddoes not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights orits own way,forit is not self-seeking; it is not touchy orfretful orresentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].6It does not rejoice at injustice andunrighteousness, but rejoices when right andtruth prevail. 7Love bears up under anything andeverything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled andpass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed andcease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]. 9For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). 10But when the complete andperfect (total) comes, the incomplete andimperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded). 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways andhave put them aside. 12For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality andface to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know andunderstand fully andclearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully andclearly known andunderstood [by God]. 13And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.-1 Corinthians 13 AMP
"He loved us not because we were lovable, but because He is Love."-C.S. Lewis
To know Him and make Him known.
That is the 'secret sauce' behind this girl. To know Him and make Him known is my life's purpose.
Many of you may not know my favorite book of the Bible is Philippians. There are many reasons as to why it's my favorite, but a leading reason, I think, is because it has continually re-affirmed and challenged me.
It has brought peace and order to a girl with problems and crazy emotions.
As of the past several months, this next portion from Philippians has really served to assure me that I'm called to know Him and make Him known.
I hope you can learn something from it, also.
7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16Only let us hold true to what we have attained.-Philippians 3:7-16 ESV
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