1 Corinthians 13:4 AMPC
[4] Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
The verse above looks at love from 2 perspectives, which are the internal process and the external manifestation. The way the verse presents love appears to be personal and human, which then means that the ideal way to explain love will be to find its best expression. You do not need to look any further than God Himself as the person who is best suited to explain love from the perspectives indicated above. He calls Himself love, and by His person and actions, He lays out the standard, and then supplies the grace we need to be able to align with the standard. God will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied grace for, and I will have no excuse for not living up to the standard because I failed to take hold of it, or I simply ignored His hand of fellowship. Have I met and come to know this God of love?
Check out the internal process for love. It is first and foremost about the person living inside of me, who is able to help with the outward manifestations. Love is said to be patient and kind; it is quite interesting that the fruit of the Spirit also contains love, patience and kindness. I can't be one and not the other; I cannot pick and choose the parts that make me comfortable and then reject the ones that will test the quality, depth and staying power of my convictions. This already makes it clear that I need the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to birth and sustain the fruit of love in my life. Check out the other parts mentioned in the verse above: love is not envious or boils over with jealousy. It does not wish evil for any one and does not seek vain glory for itself because it is not in its nature to do so. Both love and concepts such as envy or jealousy cannot be nurtured in the same vessel at the same time, because they are not from the same source.
Love is also presented in the verse above as not boastful or vainglorious, and does not display itself haughtily. These are some heavy words. How can anyone who knows the value of what s/he has received then become proud about what s/he could not have produced by intellect, strength, influence or earnings? If indeed I know I could not earn it, it will keep me grounded and humble, and totally dependent on the source. Of course, actions will always follow contents. The mouth will always speak that which is in the heart. If all I have in me is pride, that is what my life will manifest. If God's version of love is what I have in my heart, men will testify to the change in me, and the impact out of me. It cannot be imposed on anyone; it is a matter of freewill. Its display is one that is attractive, you may not like it, and it may annoy you if you do not share the same source, but if you would surrender your life to Him, you will see the eternal message God is able to make out of the mess that was once your life. Allow Him work. God's time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment