Lessons in Love from a Clanging Cymbal

One of the most beautiful things I’ve learned about God is that He has a wonderful sense of humor. There are times when He has taught me serious truths in sometimes hilarious ways. However, it’s not because He is making a joke about it. It’s because humor causes us to let our guard down, allowing the message to get through. And, I also suspect it’s because God finds some things to be very amusing from His heavenly perspective — just like we sometimes find our own young children’s behavior to be amusing even when they’re doing something wrong. God adores us in the same way, even when He needs to point something out to correct us.

One example was a lesson that God taught me about the importance of walking in His love. Years ago, I was attending a church and met a particular woman who could clearly hear God’s voice. However, she became very frustrated because no one seemed to listen when she attempted to share what God had to say. I had only just met her, but I could tell that she had some sharp edges to her personality. It was difficult to have an enjoyable conversation. Even so, I committed to praying for her and for God to remove whatever was hindering her voice from being heard.

While I was praying, God took me to I Corinthians 13:1 (NIV). It says, “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.” I pondered on this verse for the next few days.

At the next prayer meeting, the woman and I found ourselves alone in the sanctuary. We began to worship and pray. As we did, she walked up onto the stage toward a drum set used by the worship team. She began to clang the cymbals with her hands. I was deep in prayer at that moment, and the sound was incredibly loud, rude, and annoying.

Just then, the Lord reminded me of the Corinthians Bible verse, and it was all I could do not to burst out laughing. I immediately saw His sense of humor — and I instantly saw the problem. The woman certainly had knowledge and wisdom that others needed to hear, BUT there was something definitely missing. Her words could not get through because, without love in her heart for others, she sounded loud, rude, and annoying!

Make no mistake. This was not a lesson for the woman. God intended it as a lesson for me. He wanted me to understand how much it matters for us to walk in His love —  and what we look and sound like when we do not. It causes us to suffer from clanging cymbal syndrome!

My prayer is that our words will always be filtered through God’s love so that God’s words through us are not tuned out in the hearing of others.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ~ I Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV.