Written in Heaven

This week has been a cool week, in that two passages of scripture with which God has been working me over came together in an amazing way. The first one comes out of 2 Samuel 14:14b, which says, “But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.” This in itself is one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible to me. God never stops trying to get our attention. In fact, He is inventing new ways of reaching out to us continually. That is so amazing!

Then this week I ran across 1 Corinthians 12:31b which sets up what is commonly known as the “Love Chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13. But this verse right before it says, “And now, I will show you the most excellent way.” Then Paul proceeds to talk about love.

What I love about this (no pun intended) is that I can see Paul tossing in a ‘grasshopper’ here (in fact I think he does in the Greek). As if he were saying, “And now, Grasshopper, I will show you the most excellent way.” It’s as though, up to this point, there were many ways in which Paul was teaching and ways that he was showing, but there is no way like the way of love.

As leaders, sometimes it can be tempting to operate out of many ways that are far from the way of love. It can be tempting to treat people with less than love. In fact, it can even be tempting to treat them with disdain or contempt. Leadership requires broad shoulders and the ability to take a hit. At the same time we have to keep dishing out the love as we are sometimes under duress. That can be tough.

However, what helps us is the fact that we know there is no better way. None. There is nothing better or more effective than loving people.

That’s pretty encouraging that love is God’s most excellent way as well. I know there are times when I certainly deserve less than love, but God keeps the love coming. I pray I’m able to do the same as a leader.