I Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
What would be your absolute dream job? What do you wish your gifting or spiritual gift was? It is easy to wish we had another job, another position, another spiritual gift, or other gifts period, and miss out on what we should be doing with what we have right now.
I Corinthians 13:1 says, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” However I have been gifted, whatever position I may have, whatever job I may be given, if I don’t have love to motivate the giving of the gifts I have, I am like a brass band without a parade. I have nowhere to go. Love is the key; without it, you are locked out.
It may be that today we need to stop seeking another gift and start praying for love to be applied to the one that we have. I Corinthians 14:12 says, “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” What good are the gifts I do have if I am not edifying, building, and helping the church where I am?
How loving would you be if you knew five languages? Would you be more loving than you are right now? If you had great abilities or extraordinary gifts, would you be more loving or more smug than you are right now?
There is a difference between loving others and merely loving to impress others. For instance, there is a difference between loving deaf people and loving the idea of being able to communicate with them. Just because I am a gifted communicator with sign language does not mean that I have a love for people.
Many years ago my grandmother was greatly disheartened. Someone in the early days of the Bill Rice Ranch had made a comment about how poorly they thought her signing was. She was just devastated, and found herself crying in their little quarters up at camp. Aunt Betty came and comforted her. One of the things that Grandmother learned that day is that having great ability is not as important as having a love for the Lord and for others that motivates the use of that skill.
It is love that allows us to suffer long, to endure. It is love that never envies. It is love that doesn’t build itself up. It is love that never fails. The Bible says, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
So, however you have been gifted and whatever position you’ve been given, love is the key because without it you are locked out. You are simply a person with gifts who won’t give them.