An Unknown Language

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate." 1 Corinthians 13:1 MSG

A few months ago, we visited different countries with my family, and one of these places spoke a language unknown to me. It was intimidating listening to people around me have conversations I didn't understand. Listening or asking for directions was quite a challenge. Thanks to excellent technology, I could scan signs and texts and convert them into English.

This reminded me that love sometimes becomes an unknown language when we don't know the source. Sometimes, we walk through life like I did on vacation with a scanner, trying to decipher everything or where we should go, when loving others. The scanner allowed me to understand texts but did not make me speak the language.

Knowing the source of love implies knowing God. There are many ways to show love towards others, but without having a relationship with God, we will be trying to decipher in our strength what we should do or how to show this love. One of the characteristics of those who follow Jesus is love. How important it is to remember the words of Jesus, when he said everyone would know we are his disciples by this: if you have love for one another. We often wonder why people don't want to know anything about Christianity. Could it be that we are not being known for love? Ouch!

I think one of the biggest challenges I have had in ministry is reminding others that we must love above all else, and for this, we cannot love in our strength, in our interpretation of love; we must daily and constantly go to the source of love. Love comes before rules; love comes before change; in fact, I could say that without love, you will not see a change. Those who love like Jesus truly manage to have a more lasting impact on the lives of others than those who demand to live like Jesus.

Today, my invitation is to return to the source of love to express the love by which we will be known. Ask God for creative ideas to love those who need to see that love in evidence. Invite them to lunch, send them a message of gratitude, and bless their life in a way that genuinely echoes that the love of God is constant and manifested in your life; in this way, you can make Christ known to others.