No Clanging Please!
Good Morning Girls! Have you ever shared a problem with someone looking for support and guidance and their response was to smack you upside the head with a verse, and nothing more? Did it make you feel loved? Have you ever heard someone go on and on about the plans God has for their lives, and when you asked them how they came to learn of God's plan, they replied "I spend a lot of time in prayer and memorizing the Word", with a "DUH" tone to it? Did you feel loved? Have you ever known someone who boasts about their faith, and says everything they pray for and believe in comes to fulfillment, but when you ask them for prayer, they respond they don't have enough time for you? Or maybe if you had more faith, your prayers would already have been answered? Did that make you feel loved? These "people" that I have described here are what the Word calls a noisy gong, or a clanging symbol! You can memorize the Bible, spend 6 hours a day in prayer, sign up for every volunteer position posted, but if you cannot do these things in love you will have as Paul says "gained nothing". As leaders, Mel and I determined before we even started, that above all, we wanted our "girls" to feel loved. "Well Jen, that's great, but aren't they supposed to be learning the Word?". Absolutely! However, I firmly believe that unless you feel loved, it is hard to want to be anything more than what you currently are. When you don't feel loved, you spend most of your time treading water and hanging on to your daily routine. There is no time to get in the Word and learn of God's promises. Even if you do get the Word, if you don't feel loved, you will not believe that those promises are for you! I believe love is an encourager, strengthener, and motivator. That is why I agree with Paul when he says "the greatest of these is love"! Have I told you all lately that I love you? I DO!
1 Corinthians 13:1 If I could speak all the languages of the earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would be a noisy gong or a clanging symbol
Love you all-
Jen
1 Corinthians 13:1 If I could speak all the languages of the earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would be a noisy gong or a clanging symbol
Love you all-
Jen
Comments