Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
-1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)
-1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)
“Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;” in other words, love is not boastful, proud or arrogant and it does not brag. When I think of these words, I am reminded of the parable Jesus told in Luke 18:9-14,
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Pharisee in this parable trusted in himself, he was prideful of his religion, his righteousness; this pride is what prevented the Pharisee from loving others and instead he judged others unworthy and despised them. When we arrogantly seek to exalt ourselves, we allow pride, like envy, to choke out love. The moment we allow ourselves to be prideful, we fail to love; we start to see ourselves as better than others or more deserving. Paul in Titus 3:1-5 writes,
“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating on another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (Emphasis mine)
Remembering who we were without Christ is humbling and it is in this humility that we are able to love others without judgment.
I have noticed that the longer I walk with the Lord, the more challenging it becomes to remain humble and not judge others. I have a tendency to get puffed up with pride and self-righteousness, forgetting from where the Lord found me and lifted me up out of to save me by His grace. I start to collapse the person and their sin into one inseparable entity and since we are to hate sin, I find myself not only hating the sin, but despising the person. Thankfully, the Lord is faithful to teach me humility and remind me from where I came and who I was before I knew Him. It is only by the grace of God that I am no longer wallowing in my sin and it is only in humility that I am able to love the lost.
I challenge you this week to ask the Lord to reveal your pride to you and teach you humility, for it is only in humility that we can truly love as Christ loves.
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Pharisee in this parable trusted in himself, he was prideful of his religion, his righteousness; this pride is what prevented the Pharisee from loving others and instead he judged others unworthy and despised them. When we arrogantly seek to exalt ourselves, we allow pride, like envy, to choke out love. The moment we allow ourselves to be prideful, we fail to love; we start to see ourselves as better than others or more deserving. Paul in Titus 3:1-5 writes,
“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating on another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (Emphasis mine)
Remembering who we were without Christ is humbling and it is in this humility that we are able to love others without judgment.
I have noticed that the longer I walk with the Lord, the more challenging it becomes to remain humble and not judge others. I have a tendency to get puffed up with pride and self-righteousness, forgetting from where the Lord found me and lifted me up out of to save me by His grace. I start to collapse the person and their sin into one inseparable entity and since we are to hate sin, I find myself not only hating the sin, but despising the person. Thankfully, the Lord is faithful to teach me humility and remind me from where I came and who I was before I knew Him. It is only by the grace of God that I am no longer wallowing in my sin and it is only in humility that I am able to love the lost.
I challenge you this week to ask the Lord to reveal your pride to you and teach you humility, for it is only in humility that we can truly love as Christ loves.
COACH'S CALL TO ACTION
- Pray and ask the Lord to reveal your pride to you and to teach you humility.
- Where do you see pride in your life? When or of what do you boast?
- Pray and ask the Lord to forgive you of your pride and to replace it with humility and love that can only come from Him.
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