Love Will Hold Us Together

1 CORINTHIANS 16:1-24

(August 25)

There is a song I love, and it goes a little something like this:

It don't have a job, don't pay your bills
Won't buy you a home in Beverly Hills
Won't fix your life in five easy steps
Ain't the law of the land or the government

But it's all you need

And love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So the whole world will know that we're not alone

It's waiting for you knocking at your door
In the moment of truth when your heart hits the floor

And you're on your knees

And love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So, the whole world will know that we're not alone

This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life
'Cause even in the dark, you can still see the light
It's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright

This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life
'Cause even in the dark, you can still see the light
It's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright

Love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So the whole world will know that we're not alone

(Songwriters: Steve Wilson, Matthew G Maher)

It's a song about the most important thing we need...love. Will it solve all our physical or tangible problems? Nope! But it is what we need to get us through the trials and worries of life. We need love and we depend on others to give it to us.

In the closing portion of 1 Corinthians, Paul is talking about love. He doesn't use the word "love" often in this letter (8:1-3, 13) but in this final statement it is evident that he regarded love as the essential element to all his previous instructions.

When he says, "Let all that you do," that includes the quarrels they were having, their attitude toward him and other teachers, the discipline of the church, the lawsuits, marriages, abusing the weak with power or the poor with neglect, and not edifying the church in worship. ALL OF THAT falls under the category of "all that you do."

If the Corinthians had done all in love to begin with, they wouldn't have experienced so many problems. They had all the spiritual gifts they needed, but love was what they needed the most.

Paul asked them to express their love by contributing to the needs of the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Remember, Jerusalem had experienced a severe famine years before, and many of the residents were still feeling the financial strain from that time of hardship.

Paul didn't order them to give a specific percentage of their income. He simply asked them to set aside what they could, based on their own heart of generosity.

These contributions not only helped those in Jerusalem who were so needy at the time, but they also brought unity between the Gentil and Jewish Christians.

My favorite part of the song above ...

And I'll be my brother's keeper So the whole world will know that we're not alone.

Paul was asking them to be their brother's keeper, and to do it out of love. God is asking us to be our brother's keeper. He wishes for us to love one another and to help one another through the struggles that life throws our way.

Maybe you do this by giving to an organization that helps the needy, or by buying food for someone on the streets. Perhaps it is through adopting a child with no home or giving clothing to a struggling single mom. You could pay someone's rent or buy them groceries. You can help someone with their education, babysit so a mama can work, or offer to teach someone to read so they can get their diploma.

There are so many ways we can be our brother's keeper, and so many opportunities to show the love of Jesus in this way. But perhaps the most important of all is to pray for others, offer them words of hope and encouragement when it seems like all is lost in their lives, and point them to the Savior.

After all, he is the definition of love.