I'd Rather Love

It is easy to remember what 1 Corinthians 13 reads, when I remember the lyrics of a song which Hwee wrote. I sang the song for D's wedding that I coordinated in May last year. My very good friend JQ is getting married in exactly a month's time from now. She has also just asked me to sing this same song at her wedding. I'll be flying to Indonesia to be her bridesmaid :) Thanks Hwee for composing this song and allowing me to sing at others' weddings :)

Humming the tune of the song and remembering the lyrics of the song "I'd Rather Love", I was reminded of the lessons learnt in the book of Malachi which we had just finished. One of my take-home lesson from Malachi was how the Israelites 'offer sacrifices and prayers' to God but He's still not pleased. The Israelites offered defiled animals to worship God in the temple, they 'rob' God by not giving tithes. They pray at the temple and offered sacrifices to God but in action, they break faith (divorce) with their wives to marry daughters of foreign lands and therefore break covenant with God. In my response to this God who saved me from my wretched self, I question if I had been half-hearted in my service to Him? Have I only worship Him in my lips but not living out in my life? Have I complained that God doesn't love me when things don't go right? Isn't His love already demonstrated through Jesus' death for me on the cross? Can I also say I love God if I won't show love to God's people? God is surely displeased with half-hearted worship.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us that God wants us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him. This is our spiritual act of worship. God does not want us to conform to the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I thank God that through songs, I remembered His Word. And through His Word, He reminded me how I ought to live out my life, holy and pleasing to Him.

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels

If I have the gift of prophercy and all mysteries I can fanthom

If I've all knowledge and the faith that can move mountains

Still I have nothing without love

If I give all I possess, to the poor, the blind, the lame

If I surrender my body to the flames

Still I can't escape Your word judging the thoughts of my heart

I know if I have not love, I gain nothing

Love is patient, love is kind

It does not envy, it does not boost

It is not proud, nor rude

It does not seek to please myself

Love is not angered easily

It keeps no records of wrongs and misgivings

Delights in no evil but rejoices with the truth

It projects and trust, hopes and perseveres

Love never fails

If I can love my friends and my family

But if I judge and hate the ones I call my enermies

Would You call me a hypocrite and a pharisee

Can I love You who are out of sight?

If I devote my time to church but fail to stop and think

With what kind of heart do I serve Your saints in Your ministry

Lord keep me always humble for the Spirit and Your word

Say if I do not love, I do nothing

You showed the greatest love when You sent Your Son to the cross

To die for our sins

And day by day I pray that I will be more and more like Jesus

(hee... I'm surprised that I can remember the lyrics of the entire song...)