Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Francis Chan
Just Making Noise
Talk is cheap. We can say we love others but our actions can betray us. The Apostle Paul said even “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1st Cor 13:1), and “if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1st Cor 13:2). Love is a verb; it’s what you do more than what you say.
Motivation to Serve
If we don’t have the love of God in our hearts, our helping others is merely a show to be seen by others. It doesn’t make sense to help someone without love because nothing else matters but the love of God. Love is not what you feel as much as it is what you do. I can say I love others, but even “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1st Cor 13:3).
Why we were Saved
Why were you saved? Why was I saved? Have you ever asked yourself that question? I can’t come up with an answer on my own. There was nothing special about me that caused God to stop and think, “This guy’s really special…I‘ve got to save him.” No, it was all about “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5).
Conclusion
Francis Chan is right in saying that nothing else matters but love because we’re just making noise if we say we love but don’t show it; if we’re not motivated by love to help others, our help is only for show; and if we realize that God only saved us because of His love, we should love others in the same way.
