Saturday, February 15, 2014

Clanging Cymbals Are Annoying



Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

My son used to play drums, and early on when he was learning I can remember the sound of a “clanging cymbal”.  It wasn’t pretty.  In fact, when the rest of the music was good, it was sort of annoying.  It cut into the music like a dull knife, knocking out of memory the soothing sounds of the rest of the music.  But as he learned to play the drums better, it was the cymbals that made all the difference.  They were the sounds chiming into the rhythm of the bass and the snare that made the music seem full and well rounded.

There’s a lot of clanging cymbals out there.  There’s a lot of prophecy not spoken in love, a lot of profound Biblical understanding that is spoken in condemnation.  The message is the same, just like the music was the same.  But without speaking it in love, no one wants to listen because it’s just annoying, and cuts like a dull knife.  Correct the church, but do it in love.  Lead the lost to Him, but do it in love.

Of all the spiritual gifts that God gives, let us desire most the gift of love.  It is love that makes us most like God, who is love (1 John 4:8).  The absence of love creates an annoyance when we express our faith.  We can prophecy, we can apply our hands in healing, and we can express our faith.  But if we cannot do it with love, we fail to employ the gifts of God as He does. 

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” – 1 John 4:16

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