In Pursuit

1 Corinthians 14:1

Pursue Love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

The day was hot windy by 10 am, and a full day of disc golf was on the agenda. Playing two rounds of doubles with a good friend. Not having these opportunities to get together with, even the heat could not dampen the day. We had our hole assignments and card mates and were waiting for the day to start. Chatting with the other members of the card, I learned that one of them was a senior at K-State. Then the fateful question came out of my mouth, “What are you majoring in?” It is an interesting question, a more aged version of, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He answered and the horn sounded and the round began. How often do we meet with people and we look to the building blocks of their life rather than the blueprint?

The question rightly worded applies to everyone and yet the answer is profound and thought provoking no matter who answers it. What are you pursuing? Is a question that is far more revelatory to the heart of a man or woman than “What is your major?” Are you pursuing life and liberty, or eternity? Since God has put us in diverse places with diverse gifts, the course looks different for all of his children, but the course could look very similar for the unbeliever for a time. In the passage at hand Paul has just finished the “Love chapter” or the “Wedding chapter” in his book concluding chapter 13 with the statement that “the greatest of these is love” and then he continues with a course that Christians and non-Christians would agree with, “Pursue Love”, but he doesn’t leave it there. He starts the game plan.

We had walked by the store, actually we had walked by three stores, all selling what we were looking for, but we had not gone in. Not sure about Kelly, but I was nervous as all get out. We were going ring shopping, I then told Kelly “I need a game plan”. Both of us liked the idea of “ring shopping” but the actual act, I needed fleshed out or I might just walk by all three jewelers in the mall again! I think this is why Paul after telling us “the greatest of these is Love” then goes on to flesh out what that is to look like in the life of the church. He gives them a goal as well as a Game Plan to achieving that goal, all while not micromanaging the situation, as some parents do.

Pursue Love, and how is that done? It is done in the midst of a local church. It is done in building others up. It is done in convicting others of sin! Notice that in verse contrasting Prophecy with speaking in tongues, Paul makes the statement in verse twenty-four that if everyone prophesied then a visitor would be convicted. Meaning that the gift of prophecy was not a gift of seeing the future but rather of applying God’s word to the lives of men so that they are convicted of Sin and desire to repent. Even in the Old Testament the insight into the future was not the goal of the prophet! His goal was the people repenting of sin and the sign of his authority was that of a future event as yet unrealized. Pursuing Love means not wanting people to be happy now, but rather sad now, if they are in sin, and overwhelmed by joy in eternity! Love abides because it is the pursuit of eternity, rather than the present. Was that young man pursuing eternity in his degree choice or simply a way to pay the bills? Are you pursuing eternity in what you have chosen to do today or simply “getting along”? The actions you take may look the same today, but the course you set will lead to different places, depending on that question.

CORAM DEO