The gift
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.– I Corinthians 13:1 (NIV)
This writing thing is such a blessing. We find our thoughts flow onto the page with little effort most of the time; in fact, we sometimes don’t recognize what we are contemplating until it is written out in front of us. We find a thrill in spinning adventures out of thin air and the prospect of making up a whole life for an individual we invented — well, that’s the kind of excitement that keeps us up until the ridiculously late hours. And most of us connected with this passion long before our first essay was due, maybe in making cards for mom and dad or writing little captions for the pictures we drew. Though others may admire our ability, we know it is our Creator who deserves the credit. How wonderfully creative He must be, to make this magic come alive in us! But no matter our skill in the weaving of words and sentences, it all amounts to nothing without the right motivation.
No matter how wonderfully gifted any writer may be, it is what stirs them inwardly that counts. Sure, it would be wonderful to win heaps of awards and the applause of men, but with an empty heart, what would it all be for? What impact would our words really have, if no one is ever blessed with the Father’s love flowing through us? Think of the person who has loved you the most in this life, and then imagine trading that relationship for all the publications you could dream of. You wouldn’t do it, would you? How could you trade life’s greatest gift of all?Our excellence in this craft may depend on our writing more, but I believe the real challenge to us today is to love more. To love deeply. Love passionately. Love out of a sincere heart. Love until it hurts sometimes. Love without counting the cost. Love like there’s no tomorrow. Pages, novels, and poetry will fade away, their memory will swiftly pass. But our love for others will carry on into eternity. It is the only thing that will matter in the end.
Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. –I Corinthians 13:13 (NIV).
