Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It seems like the older I get, the rowdier the music I listen too.

I like cymbals… and drums, guitars, etc.

Maybe not gongs so much.

But I don’t think this verse is really talking about musical instruments.

I think it is talking about stuff like a video I saw recently.

A legalistic preacher was tearing apart the sermon of a Methodist pastor who was talking about reaching people where they were with the Love of God regardless of their sins.

I got the impression that the legalistic preacher posted that video not out of love for God but because of a felt need to be right and to be heard.

He was a clanging gong.

I might disagree on some points of theology with that Methodist minister too, but I agree with the notion of leading with love.

The legalistic preacher might have cared some too, wanting people to escape the grasp of sin. But the way he presented the Gospel would drive most people away from the perceived hate before they had the chance to repent.

While I would not downplay the seriousness of sin, I would always lead with love.

What is your favorite part of this chapter’s description of love?
Why?