I Corinthians 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, seekth not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”
This verse is God’s definition of ‘LOVE’. It is universal, representing all the types of love demonstrated by man: love of a spouse, love for children, love for friends, love for parents, etc. Or, maybe, I should say that it represents the way ‘love’ should be demonstrated. We all know that the word charity can be interchanged with the word love, so that is the word I will use in this devotional. I appreciate the way that God’s Word can say so much in such a small space. These verses represent a beautiful picture of what genuine love looks like.
- Love suffereth long – it doesn’t give up. It is in there for the long haul.
- Love is kind – it is not quick or hurtful but thoughtful and helpful.
- Love envieth not – it is not jealous of what others have but is encouraging.
- Love is not puffed up – it isn’t boastful and smug. It does not put itself above others.
- Love does not behave itself unseemly – it is not show-offy. (Not sure that’s a word)
- Love seeketh not her own – it doesn’t say, “me first” and want everything done MY way.
- Love is not easily provoked – it is patient and doesn’t fly off the handle easily.
- Love thinketh no evil – it does not jump to conclusions or think the worst.
Love is not just a word to be spoken but a word to be demonstrated. We show true love, God’s love, when we put the actions that these verses express into practice. It is what we should strive for every day!
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