High Investment, Zero Yield
So far in our study using the text of 1 Corinthians 13, we have looked at verses 1 and 2. We have seen that the gifts of tongues, prophecy and faith all need the added ingredient of love. The pattern here is that Paul is using the highest examples of each of these gifts as the objects of his statements. Because of this, the reader can’t come along and say that maybe more faith, prophecy or tongues would be enough to substitute for love.
Let’s take a look at verse 3 now:
Even if I give away everything that I have and sacrifice myself, but have no love, I gain nothing. – 1 Cor 13:3 ISV
The things that Paul mentions here are generosity and martyrdom. In both cases, he takes each virtue to the extreme, like he did with the gifts mentioned in the first two verses. Again, I believe it is safe to say that if these things are of no value without love, the same qualities exercised to a lesser degree are also of no value without love.
The reason I mention this is because of the fact that we can lose a sense of identifying with the concept if we can’t picture ourselves doing the things mentioned. To put this concept in “accessible” terms, donating to the church pantry or helping at a soup kitchen both need to be motivated by love in order to be valuable. Being a giver requires us to release something that we may otherwise have called our own, and it might seem that the act of surrender in itself will make our donation holy. The problem is, those outward actions could be motivated by a blind sense of duty, or the notion that having given, we can check one more thing off our list of obligations, and not worry about it any more. In other cases, giving can be motivated by a desire to be seen by others as generous, hoping that perhaps we will be noticed, and get a return on our “investment”.
When this kind of motivation is applied to relationships, it is often accompanied by a kind of mental score-keeping, where we think: “Now that I’ve given you what you want, it’s my turn to get what I want.” If our giving is motivated by real love, we are protected from that kind of thinking.
Now, a few words on martyrdom. That word here is mine, not taken from this particular scripture. It is an interesting word, because it has taken on a little bit of a negative meaning when it is used sarcastically. I’m sure most of us have heard someone say, “Don’t be such a martyr!” In the speaker’s mind, the person they are addressing is making a big deal about how hard it is for them to do what they ought to do, pointing out their righteousness in fulfilling their duty. I can imagine that this kind of attitude might have been on Paul’s mind as he wrote this.
Sometimes there is a physical cost involved in doing a good deed for someone else. We may be tired and sore, and push through the pain to get something done. An attitude of martyrdom, in the negative sense, would make us likely to point out our pain to the one our actions were supposed to bless. If this has ever happened to you, you understand that any blessing is stolen away by that kind of attitude.
We can look at Jesus as an example of someone who was generous and who didn’t protect His body from pain. One picture that comes to mind is the times that Jesus fed a crowd. Since He was perfect, we know that He was not motivated by pride, or a desire to win some kind of popularity contest. He wasn’t just looking for a way to make the disciples shut up and stop bothering Him. Instead, He had the welfare of the multitude and of His disciples in mind, and His love for them is what motivated Him to do what He did. He cared about their empty stomachs, but in addition to that, he cared about their souls. This miracle, and the others He performed were motivated by a desire to bring glory to the Father, certainly, but I think it is safe to say that He was also motivated by a desire to contribute to the welfare of those He served.
Some time ago, I wrote an article called, “Resurrection“, which mentioned the fact that Christ’s rising from the dead had to be preceded by His death, which in turn was preceded by His time in Gethsemane. This was the time where He had His struggle of will, asking His Father to remove the cup of suffering, if possible. As I have considered His obedience, and the suffering that followed His words, “Not my will”, I have also considered the smaller sacrifices I am called to make on behalf of those that I love. I realize now that I was starting to see Jesus as a victim in this story, until a friend reminded me of Christ’s words regarding His death:
No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father. – John 10:18 NASV
Yes, Jesus was obedient to His father, but He really did have the opportunity to make a decision other than the one that He did. One might say He wasn’t “being a martyr”. Aren’t you glad Jesus isn’t going to walk up to you when you get to Heaven, and say, “It really hurt when they put those nails in my hands. I can’t believe you made me do that.” No, His words to us will be, “Well done”.
There seems to be so much more dignity in this than there would have been if Jesus had been forced to die. He actually chose it! Yes, He was commanded by God to die, but He CHOSE to obey! Through all His agony, He remembered His motivation, which was His love for us.
The Bible says, “Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church…” We may respond, “Ok. I guess if I have to, I will.” If that is our response, then what we have isn’t love, but a sense of obligation. Love is given, not taken. It may lead to actions of sacrifice, but sacrifice can be motivated by other things as well. If our motivation is something other than love, we are continually making a high investment with zero yield: to condense Paul’s words, “I give … I sacrifice … I gain nothing”.
If you are in a relationship that seems to be defined by these words, ask God to search your heart, to see if you are truly motivated by love. He sees your heart, and He knows how to repair it.
Remember, if you lack love, there is no amount of activity on your part that can manufacture it. Love resides in the heart, and the heart is something that can be changed only by the work of God. Love’s only true source is God, and He knows how to make our hearts reflect the image of His heart. Remember, too, that the command to love comes with a choice. A choice to obey, or a choice to disobey. Our free will is given to us by God, and allows us to sacrifice our possessions and ourselves as an act of love, rather than out a sense of duty or self-promotion.
The three verses studied so far in this chapter have dealt with the fact that love is an indispensable ingredient in our lives. There are several verses following that will describe the nature of love. As we look at these, let us remember that all love is God’s love, and that we are commanded to follow His example.
