Devotionals
Many years ago I remember a man named Gomer Jackson, who attended the small Baptist church in Stockton, CA that I was a member. Gomer was a professing Christian like myself and he found his way into our gathering which consisted mostly of older men and women with a small group of younger folks. One day we were talking about the finer points of theology and, if my memory serves me correctly, about love. This must have triggered in Gomer the following little rhyme which he quickly recited.
A bell isn't a bell until you ring it.
A song isn't a song until you sing it.
And the love in your heart wasn't meant to stay
for love isn't love until you give it away.
I liked that then and so I repeated it several times in a row until I memorized it.
I've never forgotten it but as I recollected that little unforgotten rhyme I realized it wasn't entirely true.
Let us look at this more closely.
Is a bell only a bell when you ring it? No, a bell is still a bell regardless of whether you ring it or not. So the idea that a bell isn't a bell until you ring it is false.
Is a song only a song when you sing it?
No. Most songs get sung but that is not what determines the authenticity of a song. I think you would agree that a song is still a song whether popular or unpopular, published or unpublished, heard or unheard. So the idea that a song isn't a song until you sing it is false also.
The next part of this little unforgotten rhyme says ":And the love in your heart wasn't meant to stay for love isn't love until you give it away."
The first part of this is true.
Any love that we have is produced in us by the Holy Spirit. It is a fruit of the Spirit as we find in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love..." This love that is produced within the believer is to be manifested toward others so I suppose we could say that this "love" is meant to be given away or else how do people know we have it?
Israel was commanded to love God with every fabric of their being. Deut 6:5 reads "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
Jesus was asked by a lawyer "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40
Now the last part of this rhyme says "for love isn't love until you give it away." Again isn't love still love even if it stays in your heart? I would think so although if we truly have the love of God in us then it will show itself throughout the day or week will it not?
The word of God clearly mandates that we love others and thus show or manifest this love in our heart.
A person may be full of love and while it may be hard to hide it may lay dormant under a bush for a short time until coupled with faith it springs into action.
The Bible says "faith worketh by love" and so faith may be hid for a while but eventually your're going to open your mouth and speak your mind thus revealing what you believe or you will demonstrate your faith by doing good works of charity and kindness by serving others.
The word of God clearly mandates that we love others and thus show or manifest this love in our heart.
A person may be full of love and while it may be hard to hide it may lay dormant under a bush for a short time until coupled with faith it springs into action.
The Bible says "faith worketh by love" and so faith may be hid for a while but eventually your're going to open your mouth and speak your mind thus revealing what you believe or you will demonstrate your faith by doing good works of charity and kindness by serving others.
This is faith in action and if it is Biblical and true faith it works by love. The love of God will show itself in your life.
The Bible says in Romans 5:5 "...the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
Be encouraged to know that if you have faith and love which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, these were not meant to stay idle in yourself but to seek out the spiritual welfare of those around you.
Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member) and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching. See all his videos on https://www.YouTube.com/user/LAStreetPreacher CONTACT at [email protected]
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