leading w/ love: 1.1
Friday, February 29, 2008
Without Love Even Heavenly Language Sounds Annoying
A "gong" and a "cymbal" are great instruments especially if they are used appropriately. But if they're described in 1 Corinthians 13:1 as being "noisy" and "clanging", it makes the instruments really worthless for music and probably really piercing to the ear. Trust me, I know what that sounds like because of my personal experience. If you have ever heard me play either my guitar or quinto (bongo) with the wrong beat or with the wrong chords, I do apologize. I believe God is still sanctifying my ryhthm and my tone deafness. Anyways...getting to the point...Paul was illustrating the point in v.1, that if he (hypothetically) had the gift of tongues or of angels and did not have love, he becomes one of these irritating instruments. What he's saying is, if he had the gift of this heavenly language or miraculous speech (which the Corinthians esteemed highly) it would amount to nothing except being an annoyance, if not accompanied by love.
Strauch uses a visual illustration everytime he gets to teach on this passage; by using a steel pot and a hammer he begins to beat on it while he starts speaking. People laugh and think they are getting his point. But he keeps doing it, and doing it until the people are no longer laughing and smiling, to the point that they seem really, really irritated. Eventually he stops and when he does, he explains the point clearly - that the experience they just had is exactly what they become to others and to God when they use their gifts apart from love.
My thoughts: Whatever gift or abilities that has been entrusted to me needs to always be accompanied with love - if I ever want to be useful. How worthless it would be if my gift or my ability (given by the God of Love) is void of love! This truth really makes me want take a step back so that I make sure I discern, by God's grace - what my motives are prior, during and after the use of my gifts/abilities. Father, for your glory help me to recognize where and when I lack love for others!
A "gong" and a "cymbal" are great instruments especially if they are used appropriately. But if they're described in 1 Corinthians 13:1 as being "noisy" and "clanging", it makes the instruments really worthless for music and probably really piercing to the ear. Trust me, I know what that sounds like because of my personal experience. If you have ever heard me play either my guitar or quinto (bongo) with the wrong beat or with the wrong chords, I do apologize. I believe God is still sanctifying my ryhthm and my tone deafness. Anyways...getting to the point...Paul was illustrating the point in v.1, that if he (hypothetically) had the gift of tongues or of angels and did not have love, he becomes one of these irritating instruments. What he's saying is, if he had the gift of this heavenly language or miraculous speech (which the Corinthians esteemed highly) it would amount to nothing except being an annoyance, if not accompanied by love.
Strauch uses a visual illustration everytime he gets to teach on this passage; by using a steel pot and a hammer he begins to beat on it while he starts speaking. People laugh and think they are getting his point. But he keeps doing it, and doing it until the people are no longer laughing and smiling, to the point that they seem really, really irritated. Eventually he stops and when he does, he explains the point clearly - that the experience they just had is exactly what they become to others and to God when they use their gifts apart from love.
My thoughts: Whatever gift or abilities that has been entrusted to me needs to always be accompanied with love - if I ever want to be useful. How worthless it would be if my gift or my ability (given by the God of Love) is void of love! This truth really makes me want take a step back so that I make sure I discern, by God's grace - what my motives are prior, during and after the use of my gifts/abilities. Father, for your glory help me to recognize where and when I lack love for others!
archived under leading with love, Words