Being kind and generous towards those who are poor and needy, is most certainly an admirable and noble thing. To be moved by the needs of others, and do something about it, to the extent of sacrificing our everything, is truly divine. We don’t get to see very often, such loving hearts in our fallen world.
Paul expounding the divine theme of love, has this to say in 1 Corinthians 13:3 – “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
The parallel that the Word of God draws is a ‘shocking’ revelation. Undoubtedly, it requires a truly generous and sacrificial heart to do what is spoken of. Yet, if there is no love involved, it is worthless. There are no two opinions about it.
The three points that Paul talks about from verse one till three – ‘Intellectual Giants,’ ‘Spiritual Giants’ and ‘Serving Giants’ are worthless, if love is not the motive and the foundation of all such matters in our lives. That is a tragedy. One, we deceive ourselves of doing something great. Secondly, whatever we have done is of no value and worth at all, because it only satisfies our bloated ego, pampers to our pride, but doesn’t move the LORD even a tiny bit.
So where do we stand?
"To love someone means to see him as God intended him."