But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.   (1 Corinthians 12:31)

Thought For Today:

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the little boy who kept interrupting his dad, trying to get him to play. However, the dad had things he needed to do. To keep his son occupied, he took a picture, tore it into pieces, and told his son that once he put it back together, he would have time to play with him. To the father's surprise, the boy returned in no time, having completed the puzzle. When the father asked how he managed to put it together so quickly, the boy replied, “There was a picture of Jesus on the other side, so when I put it together, that picture was complete, too.”  

If someone were to suggest that the job you are doing could be done more easily, would you be open to letting them show you how? Sometimes, when we have been doing things a certain way for a long time, we resist change. This was the case with the Corinthian church; they were set in their ways. However, Paul wanted them to understand that there was a better approach than being preoccupied with spiritual gifts. He emphasized that this better way is love.

As he wrote, "Charity is patient and kind; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud. It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). When we are guided by the principles of love, that better way, God will always come first, and our neighbors will be second.