“Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
~ 1 Corinthians 13:4
The Bible teaches us to routinely demonstrate love towards others. In 1 Corinthians 13, much discussion occurs about positive qualities related to “Spiritual gifts” that we may possess and demonstrate, but if we lack love, they are useless. One passage (1 Cor. 13:3) indicates that if we give all we have to the poor but have a “boastful” nature and presentation yet do not have love, we “gain nothing.” I suppose it is possible to be good for others and seek to serve them, but if we lack “love,” our values are not where they should be.
1 Corinthians (13:4-8/NIV) teaches us that love is patient and kind, rejoices in the truth, protects, trusts, hopes, preserves, and never fails. Love does not envy or boast, nor is it proud. It does not dishonor, nor is it self-seeking or easily angered. Love does not maintain a record of wrongs nor delight in evil. These passages in 1 Corinthians inform us regarding what love is and is not. Seeking the qualities we need to demonstrate love towards others may be a personal struggle and an internal battle. To show love, it is logical to believe that we need to put to rest our self-centered nature qualities and pride.
While reading about love in 1 Corinthians 13, we understand that others will benefit if our actions demonstrate a positive quality. Though we read in the Bible what we should and should not do, our “human nature, personal pride, and self-centered motivations” often guide us in a direction we should not go. Maintaining a presence of love towards others may take a lot of work and could be a daily battle to maintain intrinsic motivation to demonstrate this positive quality. I seek to be nonjudgmental, and if I see someone doing the right things while helping humanity, I give them an “A” for effort!
Many blessings to you!
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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