The Mallet and the Hollow Pipe
The Mallet and the Hollow Pipe
The Godhead continues to speak to me about how I speak to myself and to others. I have written several blogs on the words we speak, all of them from my time spent with Them.
A few months ago, Jesus said, "I want you to love people with your words.” He was not meaning just believers, but anyone and everyone I ran into. “Speak encouraging and uplifting words to all people, and then listen to them when they speak to you, hear what they say. Let it be about them, not you. Compliment them. Let them know that they are seen, for them.”
Then I heard, “Read 1 Corinthians 13, Rheyma, I want to teach you about love. I want you to learn from Me. You think you already love others, but with whose love? Mine? Or yours?” So I opened to 1 Corinthians 13 and started to read it in 5 different versions. I must confess I haven’t gotten past verse 3 in any version. My favorite version is the TPT, which reads as follows:
1 Corinthians 13:1 TPT 1If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and (even) in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I did not express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing. 3 And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value.
I could not get past verse one for a week. I read and re-read verse one for 4-5 days in a row.
My version of verse one: If I had all the eloquence in the world and could converse eloquently with any King, Queen, Noble, or President from any country, and even speak to the angels in their heavenly language . . . like I was fluent in any and all languages and/or dialects anywhere in the world, even those unknown, but did not express myself with love—that is agape love/the love of Jesus—-My words would be hollow. I would sound like someone continuously banging with a mallet on a hollow pipe. You would probably get a headache. You definitely would stop listening. I know I would. I know I have. I have actually done both—sounded like the mallet on the hollow pipe and have stopped listening to others droning on and on and on, no matter how eloquent.
But then, as I added verses two and three, they were basically saying something similar. I could have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and possess unending supernatural knowledge, and had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains and be so generous that I give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr BUT never learned to love with Jesus’ love—the precious, pure agape (unconditional, selfless and sacrificial) love. All my “doing” is for nothing if it is not motivated by love—Jesus’ love.
Yes, I know that verses 4-7 go on to describe exactly what that love is and how it behaves, but it is not about “behaving” like Jesus’ love; it is about being filled with Jesus and His love so that it overflows, as in verses 4-7. (I cannot give away what I do not have inside). And I do that by meeting with Jesus, just Him and me. It is about renewing my heart and mind through His Word. It is about getting my “oil” from Him and nowhere else and then refreshing that “oil” daily. It is about falling in love more and more with Jesus because I am meeting with the real Jesus and He is meeting with the real Rheyma, bumps, bruises, wrinkles and all.
Bottom line: I have been sitting with Jesus every day, allowing His love to flow into me. Every day I ask, “Teach me, Jesus, to love like You.” And before I head out into my day, I ask Jesus, “Who is on Your heart today?”
I am learning to look around, to watch, and to see people I would not have even noticed because I was so busy "doing." I want to see those who are right in front of me, whether my family, a cashier, a box person at Walmart, or maybe even a King or Queen! You never know who Jesus may ask me to show His love to.
So, what is Jesus asking of you today? Is He wanting you to meet with Him?
Is He wanting to refresh your oil? Is He wanting you to slow down so you can notice, listen, and hear, and really see someone? Do you know who is on the heart of Jesus today? Ask Him. He would love to tell you.
Blessings,
Rheyma Oosterman
Sanctioned Love