1 Corinthians 13: 5

1 CORINTHIANS 13:5

photo courtesy of  The Financial Express

5) (Love) does not act unbecoming; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered.

COMMENTARY

  

  Your mamma taught you to use good manners and be polite.  She would not allow rude or offensive behavior in her presence.  This is no different.  We are to consider the feelings and sensitivities of others in our speech and/or behavior.

  In "seeking our own", we immediately consider our elected politicians.  They claim if elected, they will fight for our rights, protect us, and we will be so much better off than we were before the election.  Four years later, they have amassed millions of dollars in personal assets and we are worse off than when they were elected.  R.C.H. Lenski, a well-known Holy Bible commentator, has said, "Cure selfishness and you have just re-planted the garden of Eden."  That is some powerful stuff!

   Love is not provoked.  I think of our four and five year old children here.  One will provoke the other and that one will come running to tell on them.  In order to be provoked, you have to need to have your own way.  Love does not focus on self.

   The last part of this verse just wiped out every woman!  How many wives/girlfriends, when they argue with their significant others, will go through an entire history of wrongs perpetrated against them?  Oh, I am guilty!  This says that we are never to enter a wrong into our ledger, so it will not be taken into account to be reconciled at a later time.  That is what God has done for us, so how can we do less?  We have sinned against Him but the entry in our ledger says, "righteous".  We, who are washed in the blood of Jesus, have no debits.  Jesus is our only Asset, and all we will ever need.  Can I get an Amen?

   Do you know Jesus?  Click this link to learn how you can have a personal relationship with Him:    https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

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1 CORINTHIANS 13: 4

1 CORINTHIANS 13:  4

   4) Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 

COMMENTARY

   Keep in mind that the Apostle Paul was reading the Corinthians the "riot act".  He was not happy with their selfish ways.  They had spiritual gifts, but there was no spiritual fruit.  Maybe we need to be raised to know how to nurture the fruit?  He was certainly spending time and effort to call them out and it had to be so they would mature into fruitful Christians.

   Verse 4) Here we go again with "turning the other cheek" and "forgiving 7 times 70".  Love is patient.  I think of raising our babies here, but in reality, we should treat each other as we would our babies.  Even though, the person we are dealing with is fully grown and should know better, not everybody is as wise as another, even when they come from the same family!  My Mother turns 90 years old this month.  Depending on the activity around my house and the amount of sleep I have had, I catch myself snapping at her after she asked the same question 20 times.  I love her like she is my Mother (haha).  So, patience can be an habitual act.  Sometimes, we have to train ourselves with the assistance of The Holy Spirit.  We certainly show our love when we practice patience.

   Kindness goes hand in hand with patience.  Have you ever had someone ask you,  "why do you allow them walk all over you; take advantage of you?"   That is the question you get when you show patience and kindness toward someone.  Kindness should be taught first in the home.  I feel sorry for children who are without both parents, and those who are raised by parents who don't know God.  We begin in the home showing kindness to our siblings, cousins, parents, and all of our family.  Kindness is goodwill, generosity,  putting the welfare of others before our own.

   Now let's look at what love is not:  It is not jealous.  Love rejoices with the good fortune of others. It does not pout and plot to bring them down.  It is my experience that so much of the good fortune one receives is after investing a lot of work to bring it about.  So, when others experience good fortune, maybe we should invest the same amount of time and effort so we, too, can enjoy success.  James 3: 16 states in part, "where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and EVERY EVIL PRACTICE."  So, we see that jealousy and envy is evil.

   Love does not brag.  When we brag on ourselves or our accomplishments, we are strutting our self pride.  We all know that "pride goes before the fall", so we really want to stay away from this.  When we brag, we put ourselves first; everyone else is of lesser importance, even God.  Give the glory of your success where it belongs:  to God!  Don't allow Satan to get a foothold in your life.

   Love is not arrogant.  Though I am the beloved son of The God of Creation, I am NOT The God of Creation.  All that I am, all that I have, belongs to Him.  I, also, belong to Him.  There is nothing for me to be arrogant about.  I cannot boast or brag about myself in any way.  What I have, what I can do, all of it is of God.

Do you know The God of Creation?  Wouldn't you love to spend eternity with Him?  There is only one Way.  Click here to learn more:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.


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