We’ve talked a lot about the risky life that puts other people before us. It’s a risk because it means we might have to live with unmet needs. We might have to sacrifice time, energy, or money. We might have to say no to something we want for the sake of another Christian.

But why? Why should we choose to live in such a crazy, counter-cultural way? Paul continues to remind us throughout 1 Corinthians of why we put other people first. And he brings it up again in this final chapter in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.

13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.

1 Corinthians 16 (NLT)

In 1 Corinthians 16:13, the NLT translation says “be courageous” for the greek word andrizomai while the ESV and NASB translate it as “act like men,” or “show courage.” Andrizomai is a military term to describe the courage a soldier has in the face of danger. Paul uses andrizomai to show the seriousness of persistence in the Christian life. In fact, all of the words Paul uses in this verse have military connotations, as if he’s calling the Corinthians to see their Christian lives as risks in warfare. But Paul accents his call to military-like vigor with a command to do all things in love in verse 14.

Read 1 Corinthians 16:14 five times slowly, letting the words sink in.

¹⁴And do everything with love.

Do everything with love.

Do everything with love.

Do everything with love.

Do everything with love.

1 Corinthians 16 (NLT)

Why do you think Paul encouraged the Corinthians to do everything in love? 

The others-centered way of living comes down to love. We keep coming back to that word because it’s the foundation of the risky life Jesus modeled for us and invites us to apply it to our lives. Jesus gave up his rights. He chose pain when He could have avoided it. He decided to shake hands with death.

Because He loves us. 

Paul encourages the Corinthians to do everything in love. Everything. That means we fold our laundry, drive to work, and sing on Sunday morning with love. It means we forgive the back-stabbing friend and withhold from posting harsh words on social media. It means we love. No matter the cost.

Make a list of everything you do in a day. Be as detailed as you want. Pick one of those things and brainstorm what it could look like to walk through that part of your day with Jesus’s sacrificial love.

Then, try it out for the next 24 hours. Ask the Spirit to help you love as Jesus did.

Reflect on your experience of “doing everything with love” in the past 24 hours. What did you learn? How did your actions affect other people? Yourself?

Then do it again the next day.

Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below