Stop Clanging

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."
~1Corinthians 13:1(NIV)

There's a saying I like, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way," and it's especially true for today's world. Everything around us is in chaos -- natural disasters and unnatural disasters, which is a lot to deal with but on top of that, we have people with no real focus shouting at the top of their lungs, causing discourse, distress, & discouragement for no apparent reason other than to hear the sound of their own voices. They are, in essence, clanging cymbals. They are not acting in a loving, respectful way, and their only purpose is to disrupt the lives of those around them.

Our world is out of order in a serious way. Chaos is all around us, and it seems we barely have time to take a breath before the next disaster occurs. But God's world is one of order, love and freedom. He created everything according to this order, including us. So why does it seem everything is out of order?
Simply put, fewer people act out of love. In the above verse, we are told whatever we do without love is a loud, annoying noise. So the converse would be true as well, everything done out of love for one another would be music to our ears.

So many today seem to react to situations and people, instead of acting in a manner that shows love. However, the Bible commands us to act in love no matter what is going on around us.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35.)”

Following Jesus takes strength of character, and the resolve to be like Him. But once we decide to follow Him, that strength and resolve comes from Him. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)." Jesus Christ is our source for all things: strength, comfort, hope, love and the ability to rise above the things of this world that tries to drag us down.

Our evil behavior alienates us from God (Colossians 1:21), but because of what Christ did at Calvary, we have the opportunity to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18) simply by humbling ourselves before Him. And what a truly wonderful world it would be if everyone of us would stop being a clanging cymbal and start being a beautiful song in Christ.