Devotional: More Than Noise

Read 1 Corinthians 13

“If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging symbol” (1 Cor. 13:1, NASB).

The church at Corinth was a gifted church. At the same time the church was divided because of many issues. One of these issues was what are the most important spiritual gifts in the congregation? Some of the members thought of themselves as being more important than other members as evidenced by the gift that they possessed. Paul writes to the church to explain to them that gifts are worthless without God’s love in the hearts of the ones possessing the gift.

Paul says that speaking in tongues have no spiritual value without love. Their speaking amounts to a lot of noise. In the same way saying that we praise God is worthless unless we acknowledge God’s authority, grace and benevolence in our lives. Singing with a melodious voice may sound good and this may be entertaining to the audience, but it’s just noise. The danger of this noise without love is that it can lead to a spirit of superiority, arrogance, and pride. Praise God is not boastful of what one has accomplished of their own ability. Praise is a sacrifice offered to God as we thank Him for His many blessings.

Our Father we praise you because we know that we are being blessed by you each day. We confess that without your love there is no salvation in Jesus Christ. May we be mindful of your blessing even in the simple things in our life. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen!