Be Known For What You're For

Be Known For What You’re For

“He is a God of love: If you would give Him something choice, show Him your love. Let your heart go after Him, and with the arms of your love embrace Him.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

Scripture
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.                                                                                                                                                           - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3,13
Devotional
Some years ago our church started a community campaign called “For Drip.” The mission was clear; for too long the church was primarily known by what we were against, and we wanted to flip the script and tell people what we are for. It was our attempt to show our community that God is for them and as followers of Jesus, we are for them!
Fast-forward to 2020. I think this message is probably more relevant today than ever before. In a world that is filled with divisiveness, hate, and anger, it seems like we are bombarded with a constant stream of negativity. It's become not just acceptable, but expected that we express all the things we are against.
The world desperately needs Christians that are done being known for what they are against, we need to flip the script. We need to be known for what we are for, and more importantly, what God is for. At a minimum, that’s what we read in the scripture today; Faith, hope, and love.

The only movement we need is the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom.
The only message we need is the Gospel of Jesus.
The only motivation we need is love.

May we show the world we have faith in a God that can reconcile all people. May we proclaim the hope of Jesus that offers new life to every single person who feels hopeless. May we love God and our neighbors the way Christ loved us.

I’m for that, because there’s already more than enough noisy gongs and clanging cymbals in the world.

-Pastor Mitch

Discussion Questions
1. What is one concrete way that you can show somebody that they are loved today? (Write it down on a piece of paper, fold it up, put it in your pocket, and don't take it out until you've completed it.)
2. On a percentage scale what amount of your days are spent positively effecting your environment and what percent is negative? Are you ok with it, or do you need to make a shift?
3. If someone was talking about you to someone else, what would they say you're "known for"?

Prayer
Holy Spirit, get rid of all the stuff inside of me that does nothing to show the world how much you love it. Empty me of all bitterness, resentment, and discord. Make me a vessel of faith, hope, and love. Amen.