Way of Love
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.”
Today’s Text: 1 Corinthians 14:1-12 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
The way of love edifies the church. There is nothing wrong with edifying oneself to draw close to God. But edifying others is better, more mature, more spiritual.
Korean churches are well-known for praying aloud, and usually loud, in one voice. And often, that one voice will include the voices of tongues. But even if everyone were praying in English, everyone praying in one voice kind of sounds like tongues.
I can’t remember when I first heard someone praying in tongues, but it seemed to me quite beautiful, almost musical. It may be that I was not surprised or shocked when I heard it because I had grown up not know what the adults were saying in Korean. I just got used to it.
I was on a mission trip to Australia and New Zealand once to participate in revival events for the Korean communities there. The prayer times were loud and filled with tongues. It kind of felt like we were floating on the tongues of the saints.
There was a time at a Korean Baptist English Ministry Fellowship conference where we were invited to a missionary send-off service. About 500 people must have been there. It was hard to distinguish whether people were praying in English or in tongues, but it collectively sounded like tongues. And again, I felt like I was floating on the prayers of the saints.
Our youth group here at GCC used to be well-known among California Korean SBC churches for praying in tongues too. I first heard about them when I was in seminary from some of the NorCal youth pastors who had done missions together with the GCC youth.
I’ve come to realize that their tongues (for the most part) were not genuine. The tongues may have been real, by the power of the Holy Spirit, but they did not come from genuine faith. And I only say that because I inherited many of those young people when we came to GCC. It seemed to me that for them speaking in tongues was more spiritual than studying the word of God, which is categorically wrong.
Prophecy is a revelation of God’s word, and it is more important and more spiritual than tongues, because tongues edifies the self, and prophecy edifies others.
Edifying others is the way of love, and the way of love is always more spiritual than any charismatic gift.
Father, You are love. And You have shown us the way of love through Your Son. And You have give us Your word to guide us into the way of love in Christ Jesus. Forgive us for idolizing our gifts. Rather, teach us the way of love so that we might use our gifts to edify others and build up Your church. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
