Love is the Answer; Not Loving Answers

The longer I’ve been a Christian, the more I wonder:  is our faith centred on love, or on having answers?  Sometimes in church, we can get to a place where our doctrines/beliefs replace our faith.  We stop searching, stop learning, stop growing.  Instead, we dig our doctrinal trenches and settle in to defend them.  I am not against core beliefs or doctrines, but I have wondered, have we forgotten that Love is the answer, not loving our answers?

What Do You Know For Sure?

Many years ago, I was going through a season of questioning my faith.  It was difficult at the time, but I’m grateful for it now.  At the time, I thought I was losing my faith, but the truth is I was finding it.  During one particular dark time of confusion, I was asking myself:  “what do I really know for sure?  Is there anything that I know without a doubt?”  I thought about it, then opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians 13, and placed it on my piano.  A melody poured out, and I was flooded with peace.

The Lens of Love

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2).  This verse clarifies everything for me. It is the lens through which I view all other beliefs.  It’s the plumb line for my life.  Love is the answer, not loving answers.

The Fear of Being Wrong

Here’s my confession: I’m a recovering perfectionist. Growing up, I needed to be right. I didn’t dare put up my hand in school, unless I was sure I had the answer.  There was nothing more scary for me than being wrong.  I still have that tendency for sure, but my identity no longer depends on having the answers.  To be right feels good, but I don’t want to find my worth in being right.  As the writer of Corinthians said, what good is being right if I don’t have love?

The Relationship of Faith and Love

I don’t claim to know how to love, but learning to love is my priority.  This is where my faith comes back in.  When I was a teenager, I read the description of love in Corinthians chapter 13 and thought “yup, that’s me”. 😳 As if!  No one measures up to that definition of love except God.  Human love always has some self interest mixed in. But God is Love.  I need God’s love in order to truly love anyone else.  The measure of spiritual maturity is love. Let’s stop loving the answers, and remember that Love is the answer.