"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I am nothing...the greatest of all things is love." (I Corinthians 13, from the New Testament)
St. Paul gives us an impressive list. He says, "Suppose I have talent beyond measure, knowledge without bounds, and wealth beyond imagination..." And who wouldn't like those things? As a matter of fact those are the things many of us spend much, if not most, of our energy attempting to achieve. If I can only achieve those things, or even one of those things, we sometimes think, I'll be successful.
St. Paul has a different perspective, though, and with that perspective he turns us us and our values upside down. He says, "If I don't have someone who loves me, really loves me, I have nothing at all. I am nothing at all. I finish last because the greatest gift of all is to have someone who loves me."
St. Paul believed that love was a gift, a spiritual gift. Having someone who loves me is a gift; it's a gift from the Universe. We don't receive this gift because we're so special, or so handsome, or so beautiful, or because we're irresistible, or because we're so perfect in looks, mood, attitude, demeanor or any and all other ways. It's a gift, not a reward.
I will get myself into trouble if I begin feeling this gift is a reward. If I begin feeling "Of course I'm loved because I'm so very special and so doggone lovable. As a matter of fact, I must be down right irresistible for this person to love me so." That's a statement from Ego. When we begin feeling that we receive because we must be so very special, rather than receiving as a gift, the spiritual principle is that what we've been given will be taken away. No one, including the Universe, likes ingratitude.
When the Universe gives me someone who loves me, it's one of the greatest growth opportunities available to me. I'm given the opportunity to grow --- to grow into the person that honors, that's deserving of, the love I receive. There are very few, if any, growth motivators like this one.
St. Paul spells success like this: S-O-M-E-O-N-E-W-H-O-L-O-V-E-S-M-E.
If I climb the ladder of worldly success to the very top, if I have an income that people dream about, if I possess cars, and planes, and houses, and vacation spots, and this, and that, and the other, but don't have someone who loves me, really loves me from their heart, I have nothing. I am nothing. I finish last.
When love comes into your life, honor it and use it to grow into a person deserving such a magnificent gift. According to St. Paul, that's finishing first.
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