Tag Archive for: 1 Corinthians 16:14

Planning What Matters Most

1 Corinthians 16:14 — Let all that you do be done in love.

My dad has retired, but he hasn’t stopped. I got to catch up with him on vacation.

And he was talking about how… “Yeah, I’m not working eight to five anymore, but I’ve scheduled in time in my day to help others.”

He said, “Maybe it’s somebody in my community who needs a ride somewhere. Maybe they need help moving. I don’t know, whatever it is, I prioritize it and schedule it in my day.

That really touched me.

He didn’t just retire. He reorganized his life around people.

And I thought, “Okay… that is a whole new definition of being the hands and feet of Jesus.”

It’s not serving spontaneously or only when it’s convenient. It’s not squeezed in if there’s extra time.

No, it’s chosen. It’s planned. It’s built in.

It’s letting everything you do be shaped by love.

Because following Christ doesn’t just change what we believe. It reshapes what we prioritize. It changes what makes it onto our calendars, into our budgets, and into our everyday lives.

My dad understands something that can be easy to miss: love isn’t just a feeling. Love is an action. And sometimes the most loving thing you can do is make room for people before they ever ask for your help.

So maybe today is a good day to ask yourself: Who has God placed in my life that I can serve?

Maybe it’s a neighbor who needs a hand. Maybe it’s a friend who needs a phone call. Maybe it’s someone who’s been carrying a burden alone.

Whatever it looks like, don’t wait for someday.

Make room for love today.

Because when love becomes a priority instead of an afterthought, people notice.

And so does God.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Who has God placed in your life that may need encouragement or practical help right now?
  • Do you tend to view serving others as something spontaneous or something worth planning for?
  • What would it look like to intentionally build acts of love into your schedule this week?
  • How has someone else’s consistent kindness impacted your life?
  • What’s one practical way you can let “all that you do be done in love” today?
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The Vacation We Already Had

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1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Let all that you do be done in love.”  

They say time flies when you’re having fun, but that nine-hour car ride to Tennessee felt more like crawling through molasses.

We had piled into two cars—my dad, his new wife, her boys, my sister and her family, my best friend, and me—and drove the whole way. For a tween, that felt like forever and a day and a thousand “are we there yets” stuck in a car.

When our caravan finally rolled into Gatlinburg, we checked every tourist box: souvenir shops, ice cream stands, hiking a mountain or two. And yes, an old-timey country music show that I vowed—loudly—not to attend.

We went anyway. And if I’m honest, the only thing I remember is seeing a cute boy and getting my very first crush.

But years later, that’s not what I hold on to.

The real treasure was back at the rental house.

That little cabin tucked in the trees, became the center of it all. We would pile into the kitchen and cook up whatever groceries we grabbed. We played board games with missing pieces. We argued. We laughed and laughed and stayed up too late.

And that was the best part.

Not the boy. Not the Smoky Mountains. Not even the pictures we took.

All the places we visited were just backdrops. The real story? It happened around the dinner table, on the living room floor, over pancakes and pillow talk and time together.

And here’s what I have come to believe:

You don’t have to travel to find that kind of wonder.

The best parts of life don’t require tickets or plans. They require simple love. A few unhurried moments around the table together. A Bible open before bed. Laughter that’s not rushed. Togetherness that isn’t scheduled, but chosen.

That is what it’s all about.

So, don’t wait for a vacation to make space for the people who matter. Start now. Tonight. Right here, in your own home. Because the best part of life? You don’t even have to ask, “Are we there yet?”

You’re already there.

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Love That Can’t Be Ignored

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:14 

If you drove past our house when I was growing up, you might have seen a garden hose hanging from the highest limb of the big oak tree out front.

That wasn’t an accident. That was Granddad.

Every time he came to town for a doctor’s visit, he would stop by our house, usually without any warning. He made it a point to leave behind a sign of his visit.

After waiting around a bit, He would wander to the side of the house, grab the water hose, and send it soaring into the leaves. And I would come home from school, pull up the driveway, and there it was swaying in the wind.

My mom would burst into laughter. Dad would shake his head, muttering as he wrestled it down. And me? I never understood why.

But now I think I get it. It was his way of saying, I was here. I care about you.

It was odd, yes. Unconventional, absolutely. But that’s the thing about real love—you can’t ignore it.

And isn’t that exactly what Jesus calls us to do? To leave behind proof of love.

He didn’t come in the conventional way either. With him, He healed, He forgave, and He gave dignity to those others ignored. He did not leave people wondering if He had been there. His love left a mark.

So today, when you have the chance, don’t hold back. Leave love behind. Send the message. Give the encouragement. Show up for someone in a way they won’t forget.

Because sometimes, love looks like words. And sometimes, it looks like a hose hanging in a tree.

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