15 Ways to Increase My Love Towards Others
WORDS: If I Speak With The Tongues…
If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1
Paul goes on to speak to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians Chapter 14 about speaking in tongues, as well as prophesying, and says in 1 Corinthians 14:19, “However, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mouth so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.” Paul, to the church in Ephesus, writes, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification accordingly to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). Remember though, Paul also said that if we do and say all these things, but they are not rooted in Brotherly [Phileo] Love from God, it’s all pointless.
We are also told by Paul, because he fully understood first hand God’s grace and mercy and love, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
My friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, I assure you right now that I do not want to walk around sounding like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. It would be pointless and unattractive! And I also, like Paul, desire much, much, more to be able to speak few effective words that will change a life eternally, winning them over to God, than to speak the amount of words that could fill an entire book, yet not one life was affected to change for the better in any way. Our purpose is to help others come to know God through the Love of Jesus Christ, through the pouring out of His blood on the Cross. We can only effectively do this through displaying genuine love towards others.
Have you been in a scenario where you tried to teach a child of any age to do something new? From personal experience with my own children, the fewer words that are used, the better the results; the more words that are used, the more confusion and misunderstanding sets in and gets in the way!
Have you had the privilege of trying to help a high school or college aged level student understand a new subject, formula, business improvement strategy, or other? It takes more words than a child at a lower educational level would require and understand, yet, we still need to keep it to a minimum if possible to prevent over-complicating the topic and subject at hand.
Adults, not to our own failing, but it still remains the same with us – not too many words, not too few words; try not to over complicate things. The main thing that we start learning and developing early in adulthood though is how to have more intelligent conversations which is a thing in itself that must be practiced and developed over time as we grow through our life experiences.
Have you ever walked out of a church service that left you feeling the same or even possibly worse about yourself than you felt before walking into the service? I know I have sat through a few services where I felt completely cut down and unencouraged. The pastor in this church sounded like a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. I have also, and more often so, attended church services where a sin and short coming is revealed through the message yet the pastor left me feeling completely encouraged to move forward in the direction of personal and spiritual growth and development because the pastor had delivered the message from a place of love for God’s people unconditionally, not from a place of position, title, or power. My words, your words, need to be effective, yet few, flowing with life, love, and encouragement. If I do not have love, then I am nothing!
Prayer
Abba, Father God, thank You that You have made it known to me that few effective words are better than a thousand words of no effect. Please help me to keep a conscious mind about every word that I speak. Holy Spirit, I ask that You would give me the words to speak when it is my turn to speak. In the Name of Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, our Messiah. Amen!
Questions for Further Thought
Have you ever given much thought to your words, whether or not you sound like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal? Evaluate your conversations, focusing on those that do not offer good quality at the moment. How can you improve the quality of your words?
Have you ever had a conversation with another person whose words were of no value to you as the listener? How can you help to direct those conversations to go from lifeless to full of life?
Paul said in Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Ask the Holy Spirit right now to make your words edifying, encouraging, and full of grace.
