“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up”—I Corinthians 13:4 (KJV)
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant –I Cor. 13:4 (ESV)
I deliberately printed both the KJV and the ESV of this familiar verse from Paul’s great love chapter. We’ve long since come to learn that the word charity in Old English is more accurately rendered love in our language. “It’s love, it’s love, it’s love that makes the world go ‘round,” a popular song declares. Perhaps there is no word in our or in any language about which so much has been written as love.
What characteristics of love does God want me to learn and put into practice? Love “suffers long,” or is “patient.” Remember when your toddler started to walk? The baby would stumble, fall, and sometimes not try the new adventure for days. But a patient parent helps the child, holds his hands, encourages him to try again. What if God had not been patient—persistent and steadfast—with us? Likewise, if we have true love in our hearts we will be patient with all whom we love and should love.
Love is kind. I had a wonderful elderly neighbor lady when I was fourteen, the year my mother died (on Valentine’s Day). Her name was Mrs. Vallie Jones. She lived next door to us with Mrs. Duckworth and helped that family with housework. Likewise, when she realized I was suddenly thrust into the position of being “lady of my house” at an early age, she took time to patiently and kindly teach me how to cook, how to manage, how to clean thoroughly, sew, and yet keep my insatiable desire to attend school despite my work load at home. When I think of kindness, this characteristic of love is personified for me in Mrs. Vallie Jones. She was my mother’s first cousin, and wanted her cousin’s daughter to learn the aspects of kindness. I think kindness is represented well by its synonym, “good-hearted”.
Love does not envy. That is, regardless of what others about you may have, love does not covet their goods or position, nor begrudge anything they have. Is this hard to do? Yes. But love has no vestiges of rivalry, greed or covetousness.
Love does not vaunt itself or boast. “He that tooteth his own horn, it is not tooted,” we often hear. Does that make it right for us to vaunt or brag, be vain or egotistical? Certainly not. This is a hard characteristic of love to practice. To be truthful, we all like to talk somewhat of where we were and what we have become. But the Lord says, “Love does not boast!” Paul certainly stated it wisely in Galatians 6:14: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” (ESV)
Love is not puffed up or arrogant. Few of us like to see arrogant, haughty, overbearing, proud or conceited people. To be “better than thou” or uppish and snobbish are certainly traits that have no comeliness about them. Love, because it should be unconditional and pure, God-motivated and wholesome, has no place whatsoever for arrogance or pride.
Prayer: Today may I examine my motivations for love and the characteristics of the love I hold for You and for my family, friends, associates. May God-like love be exemplified in my life. Amen.
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