ON A MISSION OF LOVE
I have four sons, and when each of them turned 11, we went on a special trip together — just a dad and his eleven-year-old boy. They are all such unique guys, and each of their trips have been spectacular in their own ways. All four will go down as memories we’ll hold near and dear for a lifetime.
Noah, our youngest is currently eleven, and he loves music. His favorite artist is Andy Grammer so we drove out to Phoenix to see Grammer’s “Love Is The New Money” Tour. It was incredible! Andy Grammer is an amazing showman, singer, songwriter, musician, and was just a master entertainer, to boot. He played portions of new stuff he has written and lots of his known hits. Surprisingly even to me, joy and love were main underlying themes. He even had a song about dealing with the pain and grief of loss. Right before he played it, he brought up the house lights and asked if anyone in the crowd had recently lost a loved one. A woman near the front raised her hands in tears, and Grammer proceeded to have the crowd to sing a chorus of “its’s gonna be alright” to her. Then he spoke personally to her. I know it gave her hope and life. It was so much like a not-so-accidental ministry time! I later called Heidi and told her, “this guy is obviously on a mission of love.”
Sure, there’s some language here and there and I’m not sure exactly what Grammer believes. But I could tell there is genuine love for people coursing through him, and a concern to live with honor and softness, reverence, and love. This made his music powerful. On top of that, I believe it honors God. Grammer sings with a big heart and has a message to share that is valuable, meaningful, and beautiful!
Paul reminded one of his favorite church plants that no matter what they said, no matter what good things they did, no matter what feats they accomplished, and no matter what miracles they performed, if they did any of it without love…if love wasn’t the driving force…it meant nothing.
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless.” But love will last forever! - 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
I was convicted by re-reading this verse coupled with the fact that I was an actual vocational missionary in the very room with Andy Grammer, and he definitely out-loved me! Here’s my favorite line from “Love Is The New Money”…
“I wanna love, I wanna, wanna love better.
Go down as the Muhammad Ali of being tender…”
I took it as a heavyweight prize fight challenge —
to get busy LIVING LOVING in my daily life, in a more dynamic fashion! What if we could be known as heavyweight love champions?
We will all have a greater impact and make a more lasting difference with our lives if we learn to let love lead. Orchard works hard to love well the people we’ve been called to serve in Zambia.
If you need a primer to jumpstart your personal life of extending love,
feel free to jump in with us!
And here are a few keys to remember this week:
Only love will last forever. And love is the language God and lions speak.