Are You Substituting the Good Life for the Best Life?

“But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.” 

1 Corinthians 12:31b (NLT) 

Many are settling for the “good” life. But why settle for a good life, or even a better life, if you can have the best life of all?  

In his letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul is writing to a conflicted church. Divisions and disagreements were disrupting their fellowship. Some were projecting a superior attitude as more spiritual than others because of their spiritual gifts or unique roles in the church. It was obvious that they were missing the best life that God offers.  

So, in the middle of his teaching regarding the gifts of the Spirit, Paul makes a profound statement about a way of life that is best of all. It would trump the greatest gifts anyone had or could give, as well as the greatest service anyone may offer. It’s what they needed if they were to thrive, and what we need desperately today if we are to experience the abundant life God intended us to live!  

Paul dedicates the entire thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians to it. It is love - the kind of love that God has lavished on us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When you read this description of love, you get why Paul prefaced that chapter with these words in1 Corinthians 12:31 (NLT), “But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.”  One commentator offers a good perspective on this way of life saying, “Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, and miracle-working power have little effect without love. Love makes our actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone.”  

Take the next few moments and read 1 Corinthians 13 today. Don’t just settle for a good life. Ask God to fill you with His love so you may experience the best life of all!  

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To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit kerryshook.org/blog.

As you continue your quiet time, prayer is a powerful way to stay connected to God and the family of Christ. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board offers a simple space to lift others in prayer and let them know you are standing with them. You can also share your own request and receive prayer support whenever you need it.

Another way to bless others is through giving. This season, we’re celebrating how God is moving in the next generation by placing a Bible in the hands of every student connected to Kerry Shook Ministries. If you’d like to learn more, you can visit: Be Part of Growing Faith That Endures.