I was walking around a store in a foreign country amongst people whose language and culture I don’t know, I felt like an outsider, not because they were not friendly, but because I was outside of their culture looking in and did not understand the language or cultural customs. As I walked around the store, I was able to figure out what some things were by sight, like fruits and vegetables, and some meats, some grocery items like chips, but I didn’t know their flavors. Then something came over the store announcement system and it was not in my language, so I kind of watched peoples reaction to it, they didn’t seem to care and there was no alarm in their body language so I just dismissed it. There was a language barrier, but I could still see and perceive attitudes and actions. Interesting! Listen up to this 1 Minute Encouragement video:
“It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space. There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me.” 1 Corinthians 14:9-11
As I was thinking on how it felt to be a foreigner, the Holy Spirit had something to teach me about myself. I began thinking about how we have a “culture” as Christians. We sometimes speak in our “Christian Language” with our scriptures and “Christian Sayings” that people outside our faith may not be able to understand or grasp. We may come across as standoffish, or should I say, self righteous to those who don’t “speak our language.”
“If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1 TPT
What is the universal language that everyone can understand? I think it is the actions of love and kindness. People will read us, not our Bible, and sometimes, we ourselves are the breakers of our language barriers by how we act. We don’t need to say a thing, people will watch our lives, and learn about Jesus, and if they don’t understand our language or Christian culture, they will understand our humble attitude, kindness, patience, forbearance, selflessness, and love. Godly actions, genuine heart felt love, and humble kindness, all these things point to Jesus, and make our Christian culture desirable to those who haven’t learned to speak our Christian language or know our King.
“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. 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. Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Love never stops loving.” A 1 Corinthians 13:2-7 TPT
There will not be a cultural barrier between the lost and the saved when God’s love is in full bloom in us and through us. The acts of kindness, the showing of friendship from the people in this nation where I am a foreigner, makes me want to know them more, learn of their culture, and language. When it comes to God’s love, there are not cultural barriers that can hold it back, so love well today with God’s love, and wherever you find yourself on this day, finish this day well with humble kindness, and loving selflessness. God bless ya.
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