1 Corinthians 13:1
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
"Loud but not loving"
Speak: to utter words or articulate sounds. to declare, to proclaim, to celebrate.
Think about a little kid banging cymbals together. How annoying! How loud! How rude! He thinks he's making music but he's not. Brass is loud! I played the trumpet when I was younger and every time I practiced I had to go outside because the noise was so loud it was a distraction to everyone else.
Brass is another name for bronze...in the Bible bronze represents judgement. In a symphony brass is necessary. On its own it is loud and distracting...and can come across as just plain judgemental. With love the right words at the right time can become a beautiful sound and God can use them to speak directly to the heart of someone lost, confused or hurting. Without charity the same words can seem demeaning, destroying, disgracing, and distracting. Without love I will become a distraction. I will disgrace the Lord. Ultimately others will learn to keep a distance from me...which means they will also distance themselves from the Lord! It is so easy to say "good" things, "needful" things with the wrong attitude, heart or motive.
That word Tinkling means, making a small, quick sharp noise. This makes me think of those comments we say so fast we don't have time to think about how it could effect others. In the heat of the moment, anger can fly out of our mouths before we even know it. I've done this so many times. Said a small "sharp" comment that spoke so loudly and did so much damage I can not undo. Words have more power than we realize. This tinkling cymbal (although short in sound) lasts much longer than we think. Quick words without love linger. Words can not be unsaid once spoken. Our testimony can be lost with one small phrase.
What kind of sounds are you articulating? Are you living a loud life? Or a loving life? Relying in our own flesh we can do nothing and will amount to nothing. It all comes down to living in the flesh or walking in the spirit. The flesh is loud! It craves attention. It's selfish and doesn't think about the consequences. Our heart behind our words say so much more than what we are actually saying. I don't want to be loud. I want to love. Love makes the difference. Sharing without caring won't lead others to Jesus...we must remember to love. But never let your compassion overtake your convictions. Stand your ground, but always remember to have charity. We can't declare, celebrate, or proclaim how good God is without having love. People are looking and longing for someone real. "Loud" will get you noticed, but "love" will get Jesus noticed. The world is a hateful place. There are enough hateful "Christians", we need more loving Christians. I don't want to be a distraction, Demeaning, or destroying by speaking without loving. I want to make a difference by speaking with love. The tongue is a weapon that can easily be used to destroy instead of heal. This is something I battle with daily.
Lord, help me to show others the amazing love you have shown me! Touch my tongue that I may show only love...even to my enemies! 💛
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