I also love to share what The Lord has taught me, and while I may forget the specific geographical location of a passage, as did Paul on occasion (1), I will typically be able to locate it fairly quickly.
Sound vain?
I confess...it is!
Did God convict me? Yes, He did.
He humbled me at a very epochal moment of my life...from the very lips of my dying mother.
He pruned my pride, revealed just how powerful the most simplest of truths could be, and taught me that His inspired word must be paired with compassion if it is to have any eternal value.
Spewing scripture is worthless without love.
And I needed a lesson on love.
If I speak the language of men and angels, but do not have love, I am only a clanging cymbal.(2)
Ouch!
A.W. Tozer had an opinion on speaking scripture without love:
"Here's the danger of taking things for granted: believing I'm preaching the word when I'm only preaching about the word." (Italics mine)
I spent many years sharing God's word with my mother, hoping to sway her from the religiosity of her traditional background to the reality of a life-giving relationship as a true Christ follower. It was a rewarding day when she announced the discovery of a verse that finally helped her understand the scriptures.
With bated breath, I anticipated her to share some profound piece of scripture. Something really moving. Some theologically deep Hebrew interpretation from Jeremiah, perhaps. Or Isaiah.
Possibly a poetic masterpiece from King David.
Ready? Want to know what she said?
Jesus loves me!
Gasp. Blink. Swallow.
That's it? THAT ISN'T EVEN A VERSE!
(my humbling happened here).
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (3)
The simplicity in Christ. How I love that truth!
Personifying Christ really is as simple as loving others--in both word and deed.
Why do we make it so difficult?
Understanding God and his word isn't about the intellectual assimilation of historical facts.
It isn't about holding a degree in Divinity. It isn't even about having reference verses ready at your fingertips.
In the end, it's all about love.
It's about relationship.
Plain and simple.
And she got it.
In all the simple beauty.
(1)
Hebrews 2:6 But there is a place where someone has testified...
Hebrews 4:4 For somewhere he has spoken about the 7th day...
Acts 13:35 So it is stated elsewhere....
(2) 1 Corinthians 13:1
(3) 2 Corinthians 11:3 KJV
