'Let all that you do be done in love.' As Christians, we are taught that we should do everything with love. This is the most important commandment, which was emphasized by the fact that God gave his only Son for us.
If we examine the first letter of Paul to the Corinthian church, it becomes clear that he is pertaining to love and that love should be the centerfold of the Christian lives in Corinth.
The people of Corinth were dealing with a variety of challenges and problems, some of which they appear to be totally unaware of, but Paul emphasizes to do everything with love. The remedy to all the suffering is to love and be motivated by love to God and loving one another.
Why is this the case? Why should everything we do be done in love as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:14?
What Does 'Let All That You Do Be Done in Love' Mean?
The first answer to this question is very obvious. It is because God is the master of love. God is the creator and ruler of love. God is love, and as people of God, we glorify and honor God by being driven by love.
Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 that just because “all things are lawful,” it doesn't mean they’re always useful or build others or ourselves up, as it is written,
“I have the right to do anything,” you say — but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” — but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Why Do We 'Let All That You Do Be Done in Love'
The second reason why everything should be done with love is that it is one of the ways to glorify God. As Christians, we often have the tendency to take our Christian freedom for granted.
Just like Christians in Corinth, we have the tendency to glorify the good of others as a blessing from humanity, but were in fact, blessings that came from God and God alone.
Paul reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 10:31, as it is written, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
This verse means we should honor and love one another and love God while we socialize with our neighbors. Everything should center on love and love for God.
To love others, we must set our selfish needs aside and if we are unwilling to do so, we must ask ourselves: what are we ready to sacrifice for God’s sake and the salvation of others?
What Does the Bible Say about Doing Everything in Love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8: "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."
Romans 13:8: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."
1 John 3:18: "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
Proverbs 17:17: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."
The Bible has so much more to say about love. Check out this article here for more Bible verses about doing love.
'Let All That You Do Be Done in Love' Imitates Christ
The third reason why everything should be done in love is that when we love we imitate Christ or that we are Christ-like.
By loving others, we are encouraging one another in the same way that Paul encourages the Christian Corinthians to be imitators of Christ and to be motivated solely by love.
In John 13:33-35, Jesus emphasized to love one another, as it is written,
“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
When we do everything with love, we are also loving one another, even those we do not like. Doing everything with love means loving both intangible and tangible things that we do, and this includes loving people and loving those things we do that are not pertaining to people.
Let’s say, you have to wake up in the morning and do your laundry. Doing everything with love means doing your laundry with love because you want it to smell nice for yourself and for people who might be able to smell that laundry.
It is the same with doing your daily work tasks at the office. If you do work with love, people will be able to notice how you do it and you will become an example of the kind of work ethic that you have.
Christ is like this when he was still in this world. He did everything with love even the most minuscule thing and we have to be like Him.
We have to do everything with love because God is the master of love, it is our way to glorify God and by doing everything with love, we become like Christ.
To end, love is the fuel of everything that we do, and we know this through Christ’s command. Let’s practice love in small and large things in our lives so that we may fulfill God’s plans for us.
For further reading:
What Does Love in Action Look Like?
Why Do We Forget to Hate the Sin and Love the Sinner?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AntonioGuillem
Glory Dy has been a content creator for more than 10 years. She lives in a quiet suburb with her family and four cats.
