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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan: 1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 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. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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Daily Devotional: Thoughtful Leadership

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39-42

One afternoon, my children came home from school with math test results. My daughter had received a poor grade therefore my husband and I consoled her. My son, emboldened by this reaction shared his poor grade and both my husband and I proceeded to reprimand him. He reacted as expected, “What? This isn’t fair! You scold me and comfort her?”

The very different responses were due to the very different attitudes and work ethics from each of my kids. My daughter studied hard and strove for excellence in her school work without any prompting. My son needed constant parental pressure to achieve the bare minimum. They had very different heart inclinations toward education. A word of encouragement for those of you stuck in this very scenario: my son earned a masters degree in finance and is now very successful and motivated. Hang in there parents!

The parallel I’m making is Jesus’ obvious discernment between the two attitudes of the criminals being crucified on either side of Him. One is demanding help while simultaneously questioning Jesus as Messiah. The other is contrite, truly seeing Jesus as innocent and owning his own guilt. Frequently, this passage is applied in the context of the repentant, saved person versus the arrogant unapologetic unbeliever. But let’s apply it to our lives as Jesus did, as the leader we want to emulate.

Jesus is not harsh to the unbeliever, instead Jesus lets the antagonistic words float away without response. Next, even though Jesus is in unbelievable agony, He still responds to the repentant man in kindness. He sees through the thief’s past sin and offers him salvation. 

As leaders in our homes and businesses we need to be discerning before we offer tempered advice or correction. We need to be calm under pressure,choosing our responses and not reacting impulsively  without thought. As we become more like Jesus we become more mindful and thoughtful in our responses, even when we are in a difficult place ourselves. It is crucial to use our leadership power to enrich people and not diminish them when they make mistakes.

Next Steps

Jesus endured pain and humiliation to provide radical grace. Jesus had done nothing wrong, and He had the power to free Himself, yet He did not. The two criminals reacted differently to Jesus’ submission. The first assumed it was proof that Jesus was not the Messiah, so he mocked Him. The second recognized Jesus as the Messiah and asked to enter His Kingdom. What qualities do you look for in a leader, someone who exudes power and demands respect, or someone humble and compassionate despite being powerful?