Without Love, You’re Wasting Your Time

[Without Love, You’re Wasting Your Time]( Current Teaching Series [How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Without Love, You’re Wasting Your Time]( By Rick Warren — 11/08/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV) We were put here on Earth to learn to love God and others. Love is our greatest aim in life. In the first few verses of 1 Corinthians 13, the Bible makes it clear why love is the most important value: Without love, all that you say is ineffective. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV). Words without love are just noise. People resent and reject unloving words. But they will listen and respond to words spoken in love. Without love, all that you know is incomplete. “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge . . . but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV). The world is exploding with information and knowledge, yet many of our most basic problems are not being solved. That’s because the world really is not looking for more knowledge; the world is looking for love. Without love, all that you believe is insufficient. “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV). Many people have the misconception that being a Christian is just about believing certain truths and doctrines. But do you love Jesus? Do you realize he loves you? Christianity is about experiencing the love Jesus has for you and learning how to love like him. Without love, all that you give is insignificant. “If I give all I possess to the poor . . . but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV). There are all kinds of motivations for giving, including obligation or prestige or guilt. Just because you give doesn’t mean you’re doing it in love. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. Without love, all that you accomplish is inadequate. “If I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever” (1 Corinthians 13:3 TLB). You can have all kinds of great accomplishments. You can even sacrifice your life for the greatest cause in the world—the Kingdom of God—but without love, it’s wasted effort. You can have the eloquence of an orator, the knowledge of a genius, the faith of a miracle worker, the generosity of a philanthropist, and the dedication of a martyr. But if you don’t love, it doesn’t count. The good news is that you can love others because God first loved you. As you live within his love, Jesus says he will help you to love others. When you draw closer to him, your ability to love will increase—he makes it possible for you to live out the calling to love others. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Why do people usually listen and respond better when we speak to them with gentleness, humility, and love? - What is your greatest motivation to tithe? What is your greatest motivation to give to your favorite cause or nonprofit organization? - What is the biggest difference in someone whose accomplishments are marked by love as opposed to someone who isn’t marked by love? The post [Without Love, You’re Wasting Your Time]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. 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[LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: When You've Had a Business Setback Message 2: When Your Setback Seems Irreversible Message 3: When a Setback Isn't Your Fault Message 4: When a Setback Leaves You Emotionally Empty Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: When Others Keep Setting You Back Message 7: When a Setback Fills You with Fear Message 8: When No One Understands Your Goal [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. 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