Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love, that many splendored thing... and so very misunderstood and misconstrued by today's culture, media, and popular psychology. This is what I've been blogging about in a mini series about recognizing true love that has God as its source. Today's will be the fourth post. I have been using 1 Corinthians 13 as my main text and highlighting a few other Scriptures which give insight into the attributes of love. If you need to catch up with the previous posts before continuing, here they are:
1st - Love is patient
2nd - Love is kind
3rd - Love does not envy
Love does not boast; it is not arrogant or rude
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
Psalm 113:4-6
Throughout the records of the Bible we see it is the humble who obtain help from God. Furthermore, we are continually assured that God will put an end to the wicked and arrogant who tread down others and have no fear of Him - and whether this justice comes sooner or later, it alway comes to the unrepentant.
Boasting, arrogance, and rudeness are characteristic of a person who is full of pride. Such a person is given to self-praise, and has overbearing pride evidenced by a manner of superiority toward those considered inferior. It is diametrically opposed to the humility, patience and kindness of true love.
Many casualties of pride are well known throughout Scripture, beginning with Lucifer, now known as satan [a word meaning 'adversary']. We should also remember the story of king Nebuchadnezzar, who refused to heed Daniel's warning to repent of his boasting over his greatness, and was reduced to a state of madness that drove him to a field like an animal for seven years (Daniel 4). There was king Herod who was eaten by worms and died after God struck him on account of his boasting in which "he did not give glory to God" (Acts 12:20-23). And there is the sad account of king Uzziah who started out as a godly king, favored by God who made him great. But then, "when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction." You can read how he was struck by God for his rebellion and was made to live as an outcast leper for the rest of his days in 2 Chronicles 26:16-23. Scripture is replete with warnings against pride, boasting, arrogance, haughtiness and every related thing. God hates pride and if not repented of, it ends in destruction (not just 'a fall,' as the casual quip goes).
Proud people willingly use others to further their own goals. In a relationship, when push comes to shove, they will usually leave the other person to take the fall, suffer the loss, or bear the reproach - alone. They use 'human shields' as it were to protect the reputation they want to maintain. Even purported sacrificial acts will likely serve some selfish need to appear more loving, kind, and generous than they really are. Pride and its symptoms are really based on sinful delusions of grandeur. There is nothing good in us deserving of worship. Every accomplishment and ability, and every truly good thing in a man has everything to do with God. Persons filled with pride cannot truly love because they are me-first people. Love, though not self-deprecating, esteems others better than itself and, therefore, treats them that way.
Throughout the records of the Bible we see it is the humble who obtain help from God. Furthermore, we are continually assured that God will put an end to the wicked and arrogant who tread down others and have no fear of Him - and whether this justice comes sooner or later, it alway comes to the unrepentant.
Boasting, arrogance, and rudeness are characteristic of a person who is full of pride. Such a person is given to self-praise, and has overbearing pride evidenced by a manner of superiority toward those considered inferior. It is diametrically opposed to the humility, patience and kindness of true love.
Many casualties of pride are well known throughout Scripture, beginning with Lucifer, now known as satan [a word meaning 'adversary']. We should also remember the story of king Nebuchadnezzar, who refused to heed Daniel's warning to repent of his boasting over his greatness, and was reduced to a state of madness that drove him to a field like an animal for seven years (Daniel 4). There was king Herod who was eaten by worms and died after God struck him on account of his boasting in which "he did not give glory to God" (Acts 12:20-23). And there is the sad account of king Uzziah who started out as a godly king, favored by God who made him great. But then, "when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction." You can read how he was struck by God for his rebellion and was made to live as an outcast leper for the rest of his days in 2 Chronicles 26:16-23. Scripture is replete with warnings against pride, boasting, arrogance, haughtiness and every related thing. God hates pride and if not repented of, it ends in destruction (not just 'a fall,' as the casual quip goes).
Proud people willingly use others to further their own goals. In a relationship, when push comes to shove, they will usually leave the other person to take the fall, suffer the loss, or bear the reproach - alone. They use 'human shields' as it were to protect the reputation they want to maintain. Even purported sacrificial acts will likely serve some selfish need to appear more loving, kind, and generous than they really are. Pride and its symptoms are really based on sinful delusions of grandeur. There is nothing good in us deserving of worship. Every accomplishment and ability, and every truly good thing in a man has everything to do with God. Persons filled with pride cannot truly love because they are me-first people. Love, though not self-deprecating, esteems others better than itself and, therefore, treats them that way.
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