“Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
If you look up the word, “love,” in the dictionary, you'll find that love is both a noun and a verb. Although we tend to think about what love is, it is important to consider what love does. It is impossible to possess love for a person and keep it bottled up for any length of time. Love tends to reveal itself.
In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul dedicates a chapter of the epistle solely to the subject of love. In chapter 13, verses 4 thru 7, Paul reveals several things about love. In these verses, we find love in action.
Verse 4 says, “Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” Love is patient and kind. The reason that love is patient and kind is because love focuses on the welfare of someone else. We consider their situation. We try to understand their challenges. We do this because we genuinely care.
Also, this verse teaches that love does not envy, boast or is proud. This is because if you love someone, you seek their advancement. You applaud their successes. You appreciate their accomplishments. The focus is on the person you love, not yourself.
Verse 5 teaches us that love, “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” Paul teaches us that love does not treat others with disrespect or dishonor. Neither does love act selfishly, seeking personal gain. This is in sharp contrast to the world, isn't it? Most people are pursuing selfish goals, driven with personal ambition. They aren't concerned about the devastating affects it has on others. As believers, we are called to live at a higher level than this. Looking back at my past, I must confess that when I've acted selfishly, it hurt others. When I treat others with love, everything changes.
Paul continues his description of love in verse 6, teaching us that love, “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” A loving heart hates sin but loves the truth. It is true that the truth can hurt, but love goes beyond the superficial, temporary results and focuses on the well-being of others. People are hurting today because of sin. Sin is destroying marriages, breaking up homes, leading people to immorality and substance abuse. If we love others, we will hate sin because sin dishonors God and destroys people. On the flip side, if we love others, we will rejoice in the truth. We know that Jesus is the person of truth. We rejoice to hear His Name spoke reverently. We rejoice to share Him with others. We greatly rejoice when a sinner turns to Him and is saved. We love Him because He first loved us. Praise the Lord!
Love is an action word. In verse 7, Paul states the love, “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Love leads us to sacrificial living. God has used many people to make an incredible difference in this world. If you examine the lives of these saints, you'll find a common characteristic: they loved people. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of others. Their faith, endurance and contributions were rooted in the fertile soil of love.
Sometimes I hear saints talk about love, but fail to demonstrate it in a tangible way. Love is more than a feeling or an emotion. It is a divine work in the heart of an individual that causes that person to have genuine concern and compassion for others, leading to outward expressions of mercy and grace.
Look back at our text: “Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” We could easily substitute the name, “Jesus,” for “charity,” in this passage. You see everything that these verses teach about love is true of the Lord … because He is love.
Jesus demonstrated love on the grandest scale. His love for us was a sacrificial love. Love is the reason He came to earth. Love is the reason He died on the cross. His love remains the same today. He loves you. He loves me. I am overwhelmed with this truth, aren't you?
Love is more than a word in a song or a feeling felt during a romantic movie. Love is an action word. We can claim to love others, but if this love remains bottled up inside of us, what good is it?
As James wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
That's the kind of love our world needs today!
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