5th - 11th January 2026
It all begins with an idea.
Christmas is over. Some people might be glad about that! But the Christmas message, the true Christmas message, is for every day of the year. This week we are going to consider again some Christmas truths as we start a new year together. “Love is in the air” everywhere at Christmas and many people think that Christmas is all about love, that the season should be warm and huggy. They are right about love of course – because “Love came down at Christmas”! John 3:16 sums up the point of Christmas: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” But what is true love? 1 Corinthians 13 answers this question. Love is being like Jesus, not just having good feelings about someone. Love is demanding and we can only love properly when we are rooted in who God is and what He has done for us in Jesus. We can't live Christ-like lives without Him living in us by the Holy Spirit. We will never perfectly fulfil 1 Corinthians 13, but Jesus did! The passage shows us what we are called to be as Christians, exposes how far we fall short and tells us what Jesus is like. I hope it will be deeply challenging and life-changing as we analyse our spiritual lives. Christmas should be challenging, as well as heart-warming.
Written by Belinda Millar
MONDAY
“If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV
It seems strange to us that Paul starts a chapter about love by telling us what love isn’t! None of our gifts matter if we don’t have love. We need to use our gifts for the good of others, not to feel good about ourselves. Jesus had all prophetic powers, understood all mysteries, had mountain-moving faith and gave everything He had. But He showed humble love by making Himself nothing and dying for us. That is love.
Prayer: Jesus, You are the infinite God over all creation, yet You gave up everything to come to earth to live and die for us, because You love us. We are so thankful. Help us to show love for others in every part of our lives today, for Your glory. Amen.
TUESDAY
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy” 1 Corinthians 13:4 ESV
How did you get on over the recent season? Were you patient, or only until you were tested? Paul began here with patience as his first positive characteristic of love. If we can remember that God uses everything for our good, maybe we can learn patience. Jesus was our perfect example. Are we kind, caring, and thoughtful? Kindness is a huge witness to God’s transforming work in our lives. Again, Jesus shows us how. And love does not envy – even at Christmas!
Prayer: Jesus, we marvel that, despite how You were treated on earth, You were always patient and kind, and You did not envy. Help us to be like You and so draw others towards You. For Your glory. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
“Love does not boast; it is not arrogant or rude” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ESV
Love is not showy. Love should not draw attention to itself, because the most important thing about us is not what we do but whether or not we trust Jesus as Saviour. Nothing else matters. We should never think of ourselves as better than others – in the Corinthian church, the believers were ranking the preachers and considering themselves better because they followed the “best” one. We aren’t ranked because of our gifts – each gift is just that, given by God. And we are to treat each other as made in the image of God – that’s a rarity in today’s world.
Prayer: We ask that You might help us to always have the right view of ourselves – that we are nothing without You. Help us to know we are valued because we are Yours, not because of what we do. Help us to be polite, respectful and thoughtful, like Jesus was, so that we might glorify Him always. Amen.
THURSDAY
“Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:5-6 ESV
Our culture is obsessed with ourselves, wanting to do whatever we like. In contrast, Jesus taught us rather to put other people first. We are easily irritated, especially perhaps when we are busiest. Too often we forget that everything happens for our good. And we remember every word or action that seems to have been done against us whilst forgetting how we have done similar things. We also can find others’ sin interesting – how often have you or I clicked on an unfortunate news story?
Prayer: Jesus, You showed us by example how to live in a way that pleases You. Give us grace to deal righteously with whatever makes us irritable and to trust You in it. Help us not to harbour a grudge but to pass over misdemeanours against us. May we mourn over sin and rejoice in truth. Amen.
FRIDAY
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV
Jesus loves us despite how we are, so we are to love others that way too. Love assumes the best about people rather than gossiping about the worst. Our hope in Jesus is not wishful thinking but the certainty that He will do what He has promised. Jesus came to earth to guarantee this. And the love of Jesus enables us to withstand enormous pressure however tough our lives are.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that You love me despite my sins and failures. I praise You because You can be trusted and will never let me down. I am so grateful because I can rely on the salvation You have promised me, even when the path is difficult. Thank You that You endured so much for us. You are totally committed to us, completely faithful and will hold us until we see You face to face. Amen.
SATURDAY
“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-11 ESV
What are the really important things, in church and in our Christian lives? Paul says that gifts are secondary – it is love that is primary. All gifts will end but love won’t fail or fade. We should focus on the permanent not the temporary. Everything we do should help advance our Christian life, mature us in the faith and enable us to bless and help others.
Prayer: We praise you Lord because Jesus’ love is grounded in reality, not in rose-petals, and His love for us never ends. Please give us love like that, towards You and others. Thank You that one day we will see You face to face and nothing else will matter. Help us to value our gifts only that they might glorify You. And please make us wise and mature in our faith. Thank You that You love us, help us to love You and others more. Amen.
SUNDAY
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 ESV
Before the incarnation, no-one could see God’s face and live. But when Jesus came to Earth, this changed. We can see Him through the Bible now, but one day we will see Him face to face. What a day that will be. We won’t be disappointed! Until then, we won’t fully understand much of what God allows to happen, but then we will. Whilst we are waiting we can be thankful that He knows us fully but still loves us. God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). That’s the wonder of love.
Prayer: What can we say when we remember that one day we will see You in all Your glory? We know that we will only be able to love now and be with You then because You first loved us, despite our sin. We worship and praise You, Lord, for Your infinite love for Your children and that You were willing to endure all things for us. Thank You. Amen.