I Corinthians 13 1-3 reminds us that the greatest truths spoken in the greatest way fall short if they are not spoken in love. To proclaim the truth of God without love is not simply to be less than you should be, it is to be nothing. To often knowledge makes us arrogant, and love is the essential ingredient for edification. Agape love is always self-sacrificing, but self-sacrifice does not necessarily come from love. The real focus of such practices that outlined in verses 1-3 is not our love for God or our love for others, it is us – either in the form of legalistic fear of not doing those things or for the praise and imagined blessing for doing them. The real motivation is love! No matter what we do, or what we say, or even what we know. If those things are not dispensed with love for God and love for others, it is truly meaningless. No matter what we do we have no spiritual gain if our witness and work are not ministered in love. Paul is going to move forward from here and talk about what that love looks like. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and seek to understand what love truly looks like.