Dave Dishman

A company of German soldiers launched World War 1 by invading a small village in Luxembourg, a vital center for lines of communication between Germany and Belgium. While only a tiny step in an enormous tragedy (20 million people died in WWI, which set the stage for WW2 where another 75 million died), the act underscored the madness to come.

The name of the village? Trois Vierges, or the Three Virgins, representing faith, hope, and love—the first casualty of the war to end all wars.* The name referred to this line from the Apostle Paul: So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Paul penned one of the most beautiful and moving passages in all literature on the overwhelming power of love: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Our world promotes love, talks of it constantly, protests in favor of love and at times uses love as a cudgel to batter an unfavorable cause. Those German soldiers invading Trois Vierges all had people they loved, either wives or children, or at least their dogs. It’s easier to talk about love and read beautiful words about love, than it is to practice love.

I need the Lord’s help to practice love. I must rely on the Holy Spirit to enable me to trouble myself beyond my circle of family and friends. I see too much of myself in those who tromp others underfoot while mouthing shibboleths about caring. To love my neighbor as myself remains a powerful challenge, and so I pray:

Lord, help me to love, and remind me of when I’m trampling those around me who need your touch today.

1 Corinthians 13

*The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman (p. 98)

Photo by Kyle Cleveland

Unique means one of a kind or without equal. Snowflakes are unique because the number of ways water molecules can combine into complex patterns is so massive that the chance of any two large snowflakes matching in nature is virtually zero. People are unique, as even identical twins carry different personalities.

God is unique. Here’s how the Lord described himself to the prophet Isaiah: I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior...Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

God is sovereign, God is incomparable, God is unmatched. God is unique.

As a result there is no other foundation upon which to build a life. No alternative hope for eternity. No fallback for my soul. Despite popular rhetoric, no conflicting belief system takes me to the Rock that is higher than I. Nothing else delivers. Every contrasting religion is false. While it seems a hard teaching in our therapeutic age, only the truth about the Lord God sets me free.

Clever copies in all their guises distract you and me from the real thing. Turn away and embrace the unique.

Isaiah 43:11; 44:8

Photo by Aaron Burden

The apostle Paul knew a great deal about athletes. It seems he was a sports fan, and likely attended the Olympic-style games held regularly in the region of Corinth. Look how he encouraged the members of the Corinthian church to excel in their faith:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Back in the day athletic competitions in Greece drew large crowds. People understood the discipline necessary for athletes to compete successfully. Paul wrote to fellow enthusiasts who understood his metaphors. Box with purpose, discipline the body, run to win. Paul preached an intensity more in line with an elite athlete than a weekend warrior.

Which makes me ponder the vigor with which I follow Jesus. Am I a spare timer who lounges on the couch all week and only gets in the game on Sunday? Do I occasionally workout, yet continue to fill my belly with mental junk food? Paul encouraged a serious approach. Making my body my slave pushes me into a different lifestyle than merely jogging to maintain weight.

Over the years I’ve seen multiple disqualifications among ministers and co-workers. The value of discipline, self-control, and a rigorous approach to living as a follower of Jesus cannot be overstated. Time in the Scriptures, prayer, attending a good church and the power of the Holy Spirit all lead toward an enduring prize. Keep training, and the imperishable wreath will be yours.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Photo by Olena Karlyk

The city of Corinth sat on a strategic location, a narrow strip of land joining the mainland to southern Greece. Goods flowed north and south, east and west. Owners would often drag their ships across the isthmus, or have their cargo transported to another ship, thus shortening the route between Italy and Asia. As a result of commerce the city prospered and attracted people from from all over the Mediterranean world.

Paul started a church in Corinth. Alongside his friends Priscilla and Aquila, Paul worked at tentmaking and spreading the good news of Jesus. The church took root and grew, finding converts among the many different people groups in this cosmopolitan city.

But in an area packed with idols, temples to various gods and all manner of religious practices, those who joined carried spiritual baggage. Paul spent a great deal of time instructing on how to get along with friends, employers, customers, venders, and family members who failed to understand leaving a perfectly good religion to follow Jesus.

Paul taught a specific strategy: Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul made himself unoffensive so that the message of grace through Jesus Christ might be the only thing his audience wrestled with. He worked hard, dealt honestly with his customers, built quality tents, engaged amicably with all who passed by—and preached the gospel without compromise. Plenty of people took issue with his message (he literally lost his head over it) but Paul took pains to ensure no one took issue with him.

No offense at the grocery store. No offense at the DMV. No offense with neighbors. No offense on social media or with a work colleague. No offense creates a solid platform to talk about Jesus. People may blame you for the message, but they’re really wrestling with Jesus. Like Paul, give no offense, let them struggle, and many will find their way to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 10:32 – 11:1

Photo by Belinda Fewings