Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love
does not brag and is not arrogant, does
not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked … 1Co 13:4 -5
Love cannot be adequately defined, but it can be described. I Corinthians 13 describes this most excellent way of love in terms of what love does and what love does not do.
Love cannot be adequately defined, but it can be described. I Corinthians 13 describes this most excellent way of love in terms of what love does and what love does not do.
Love is
Patient - Makrothumein.
This word is used of God and His right
to destroy us but His willingness to love us.
This word always describes patience with people, not circumstances. We
often can bear the circumstances for we feel that they cannot be blamed as a
person can. "Patience” is a gift of the spirit according to Galatians
5:22. Its root is agape love.
Love is Kind - Goodness and kindness are not necessarily the same. Good things done in an unkind spirit are destructive. Doing the right thing in the wrong way is to do wrong. Kindness is most important when dealing with the wounded. How many have been hurt by those reaching out to help because their goodness had no kindness.
Love is not Jealous - Jealousy is a fear and “there is no fear in love."
- AGAPE love is confident. Love sets
people free. It does not enslave others.
- A fisherman friend told me that one
never needs a top for his crab basket. If one of the crabs starts to climb
up the side of the basket, the other crabs will reach up and pull it back
down. Some people are a lot like crabs. Love
does not possess others but draws others.
Love is Humble - Love does not Brag to vaunt oneself, ... is not Arrogant “...Does not
make a vain display of itself, and does not boast.” “Love is not out for display. Love makes no
parade.” True love will always be more
impressed with its own unworthiness than its own merit. Love finds joy in
elevating others, not itself. Real love
has a consciousness that it can never offer the object of its love a gift that
is good enough. Love does not inflate
our importance but Christ's. He is our
authority and guide.
Love does not act unbecomingly Love has good manners. Love's ways are always fair, never haughty. The word asxnmonai means love acts lovely. Love does not have to use unlovely tactics to win its way. A positive statement would be that love is beautiful, not ugly.
Love does not seek its own "...does not insist on its own way."...does not pursue selfish advantage." Now we arrive at the very highest expression of love. Our Lord best expressed it when He declared His purpose in life in Matthew 20:28 “...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Love always gives and, (let it be emphasized) love always has something to give. Our world is plagued by responsibility renegades more concerned with what they deserve to get than they are what they are responsible to give. Love respects the other person and their needs. Love does not demand that everyone march to the beat of my drum. There is openness to the needs and desires of others.
Love is not easily angered (provoked) - Love never becomes exasperated with people. Exasperation is a sign of defeat for when we lose our tempers we lose control. Irritations that lead to loss of control are often signs of personal pride. Being irritable and temperamental display an attempt to control the situation for our benefit without a true focus on others. Love's right to anger is justified and purposeful. It does not explode. Love does become angry in a beautiful way.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; 1Corinthians 13:7-8a
