On Wednesday I asked the question "what is love?". We looked at 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the love chapter, for the answer. In case you missed that post, you can read it here. We looked at what love is and does on Wednesday, so today we're going to be looking at the seven things that love is not and does not do. Here’s the scripture for reference.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Love is not proud When I just looked up the exact definition of proud, some of the synonyms are joyful, delighted, satisfied, and glad. That doesn't sound so bad, does it? What's wrong with being joyful? Nothing. It's perfectly okay to be proud of yourself when, for example, you finish a difficult assignment or test. But pride for the wrong reasons and in the wrong things is sinful. Pride becomes sinful when you start to think that you're so much better than everyone else and that you can do everything on your own. Pride eventually leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18) Love is not self-seeking A self-seeking person is always trying to do things that benefit themselves. They don't do things in regard to others. They're only worried about themselves and what they can gain. This is not showing love. When you love someone, you should be concerned with their well-being as well as yours. Love is not easily angered Everyone is human. We all make mistakes. But it’s important that when people make mistakes, especially people you love, you don’t explode at them for the tiniest things. As I said in the last post, patience is important for a loving relationship. Love does not dishonor others To honor someone means to put them and their needs above your own. Honor is also respect. Showing love to someone also means honoring and respecting them. Love keeps no records of wrongs If you keep a record of wrongs, that basically means that you hold grudges. I know from personal experience, grudges ruin relationships. I feel like this also ties into being easily angered. And angry person will be quick to hold grudges. Love doesn’t do that. Love does not delight in evil Someone who delights in evil is someone who enjoys disobeying God and enjoys sinning. I was once in a relationship with someone like that. And trust me when I say, it leads nowhere good. When you love someone, you should be wanting to to help them in their walk with God; and vice versa. Love never fails Ever. Even when you go through the toughest times, the people who truly love you will always be there for you. They will always support you. Always love you. Always respect you. No matter what happens, people who love each other will do everything in their power to not fail one another. I pray this mini series has encouraged and challenged you to love people the way the Bible commands us to. I know it's not always easy to love everyone unconditionally all the time, but it's what Jesus did and it's what He wants us to do. Even though it can be difficult, I believe that by using these scriptures as a guideline for what love is, we can love people the way we’re called to.
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MissionIn short, I started this blog because I want to give girls all over the world hope. All of the topics I write about on this blog are things that I have struggled with or am still struggling with. I want to help young women everywhere achieve freedom through Christ. Archives
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