Here are a few thoughts on the motto for 2024: “Let all that you do be done in love!”
1 Corinthians 16:14
The Bible describes love as follows:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Hfa
[4] Love is patient and kind. It is not dogged, it does not boast and does not look down on others. [5] Love does not offend decency and does not seek its own advantage; it does not allow itself to be provoked and does not bear grudges. [6] It does not rejoice in injustice, but rejoices when the truth prevails. [7] Love accepts everything, it never loses faith or hope and perseveres to the end. [8] Love will never pass away. One day there will be no more prophecies, speaking in unknown languages will cease, and the gift of recognising God’s thoughts will no longer be necessary.
https://bible.com/bible/73/1co.13.4.Hfa
You could replace the word love with God in the above text:
“God is long-suffering and kind. He is not stubborn. He does not boast and does not look down on others. He does not offend decency and does not seek his own advantage…” etc.
When I look at myself and my abilities, I already fail at the first verse. I could not use my name without restriction:” Corinna is patient and kind. ” Of course I am patient and kind sometimes. But there are also countless occasions when I’m not.
That’s why it’s very helpful for me to know that I can’t do it and I don’t have to do it. I don’t have to try to love. Even less should I expect others to love me. If anything, we should apply this standard to ourselves and not to others. I believe that everyone who is honest enough with themselves fails at one point or another. The good news is: it’s not bad to fail! God Himself, who is love, does not expect us to live up to this standard out of ourselves. He gave His Son for us so that He could be for us everything that we cannot be. When we receive Him within us, then love itself dwells within us. And the more we give Him space within us, the more we are like a channel through which His love, but also His strength, His joy, His faith, His miracles and His kindness can flow. And the more like Him we become, the less impatient we are with others or look down on others or expect others to live up to our expectations. We don’t even expect it of ourselves because we know that we can’t do it without Him anyway. This in turn brings us into His rest, His peace, reconciles us with Him, reconciles us with others and even with ourselves. I believe this is one of the reasons why the Bible says that we should become like children. A child knows that without his parents he can only do very limited things and he rests in the qualities of his parents. Little children know that their dad is the strongest person in the world and that mum and dad can fix everything if they have broken something. They discover their world and don’t worry about having to fulfil anyone else’s expectations. With this in mind, may we get to know the One who is love itself more deeply in the coming year and thus be transformed more and more into Himself.
One last thought at this point. If God Himself is love, then the verse from the annual motto could also read: “Everything you do, let it be done in God!” You could also put it like this: “Everything you do, let it be done under His guidance or out of His guidance.” In order to be led in this way, we need more closeness to Him, more intimacy, more allowing ourselves to be loved by Him. People who know they are loved will automatically love others.
That is my wish for you and me for the new year!
