Pastor Alex Adegboye
Love is essential and indispensable, and it can be quite difficult; nonetheless, we all carry the capacity to love. In every man created by God is the very image of love formed whether it is expressed, silenced or hidden. We can love people unconditionally in spite of their shortcomings and inadequacies. Lets allow God breathe more into us as we carefully study more of the qualities of love from our text in 1 Cor 13.
1Co 13:4-5 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil”
5. Love is not puffed up – to be puffed up means to be proud, swollen and inflated. This is arrogance and snobbishness: to think too high of oneself. People puff up when they feel they’ve been exalted above others. Sometimes, some parents snob their children and some pastors exude arrogance over their members. Everything we have in life we received from God, we didn’t earn them. A man that loves does not pride himself.
1Co 4:6-7 “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
6. Love does not behave unseemly – unseemly is to be unbecoming; this is been tactless and thoughtless, to care less about other people. A person who is unseemly is rude, discourteous and badly mannered. He uses uncarved words and disregards. He’s unkind, insensitive, disrespectful and harsh.
7. Love seeketh not her own – to seek one’s own alone is to be manipulative. It also means to scheme to get one’s end; that is, by crying, lying, fighting, frightening, harassing, oppressing, and e.t.c. This kind of person can be so committed to getting what he wants to the extent of employing crafty, deceptive, unwholesome and ungodly means.
8. Love is not easily provoked – love does not easily get angered neither does it deliberately provoke other people. The easiest way to get people walked up is to use sharp, unkind words.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
When love is provoked it will always find a way to come back. Love never disagrees forever. Consider the points discussed, measure your love life by them, make amends where necessary. Love is the best of all.
God bless you.
