Chari-TEA : a cuppa true love

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, (love) these three; but the greatest of these  is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13, KJV)

There are many kinds of relationships. There are two relationships which involve love---consumer and covenant.

• A consumer relationship is the relationship one will only "buy into" if it provides a self-serving benefit. It is modeled after self and asks, "What do I get out of this relationship." "What can it do for me?" 
• A covenant relationship is a disposition of the heart modeled after the Lord's example.  In the Greek, covenant basically means to order or dispose of oneself for another. Moving self out of the way and putting others first.

Covenant love---just as the Lord did for each of us. It loves regardless---in a self-sacrificing way.

Covenant relationship demonstrates Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud....is not self-seeking, ....keeps no record of wrongs,....always protects....always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Chari-TEA is the cuppa we serve to others in love, expecting nothing in return. It is poured out in benevolence because it comes with God's supreme blessing.

"chari-TEA" : a Re-Brew

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. (Galatians 5:13, NIV)

Today's speaker at Downline Women's Summit, Lysa TerKeurst, caught my attention when she said, "when I've done something for someone else, I like to be noticed and thanked." "Whereas," she continued,  '"a wise-hearted woman has a servant's heart."  Such a woman "tucks her quiet acts" of un-noticed areas of service, where only God sees. Not done for the eyes of others.
I imagined such gifts of love, in the area of financial service, being given anonymously. Without tangible reward---name on a plaque or thank you gift included when donation is given. Conviction!

Charitable type of love is in an overflow of one's love for the Lord which allows one to serve others well. It is not a love that needs credit.

Charity in the Hebrew is tzedakah---completely voluntary or a religious obligation---typically seen as a moral obligation, a charitable giving to be performed regardless of financial standing, even by poor people. A works-orientation of sorts.

These actions can certainly be seen as "acts" of charity BUT greater still are those same works which are done as an outpouring of love from God, Himself.

If one becomes more interested in keeping the commandments to establish one's own merit than in loving others, then the message is lost. Even if one serves others out of obligation to observe the law, then it is done for "self "rather than for the "others" one is appearing to serve. In such a way, that service fulfills one's own desires. According to the Greek translation, charity is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) BUT is fleshly service, "charity" without love? Charity without love, is that an oxymoron?

True charity is God's work. We are but His hands and feet to show Christ's love to the world. Charity is expressed by serving one another. When the object of our faith is Christ, who loved us, we are motivated and empowered to express His kind of love to others. His Love Works.

"chari-TEA"

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13, KJV)

Chari-TEA! It's all about love. The Greek for charity is "agape" translated as unconditional love. Here in these verses from 1 Corinthians 13, one clearly gets the idea that love is NOT about self.

"Self" often acts for its own profit, and seeks its own with a "puffed up" ego. According to this chapter, charity does none of these. Longsuffering and kindness are factors of this love. Charity bears all things with hope and endurance.

Without love, mankind is nothing.

It's a covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one’s fellow man.

Dr. Constable dubs the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians as the supremacy of love. "Love is the most fundamental and prominent of these graces. The love in view is God's love, that He has placed in the believer by the indwelling Spirit, that should overflow to God and others." (p. 153)
An over flow of my morning tea opened my eyes to the reality of a cuppa chari-TEA. Overflowing of love is a good thing.

Disclaimer, I added a little tea to the saucer so that you could see it & get the idea.
Not the first time such a spill has taken place---but now it has meaning.

Sipping a cuppa chari-TEA allows love for God and others to spill over into life, just as the saucer for my morning brew caught the overflow and drips from my cup. That's what our charity needs to do......splash all over others and cover them with love.