Love With All Your Heart - series chapter 4

Love With All Your Heart

 

4

Love is lowly; Love is not boastful. Love does not exalt itself or display itself haughtily.

Jerry had always been a scrapper. He was short and had had to defend himself against bullies as a young boy. And now, although the physical skirmishes were over, he still felt he had to play "kind of the mountain." He was compelled to prove that he was someone of significant importance. And so, he had discovered subtle (and some not quite so subtle) ways of letting the world know just how wonderful he was. His possessions were one way he displayed his superiority; his car always had to be faster than anyone else's, and his clothes were flashier and more expensive. With his loud, boasting voice, he would tell stories about himself designed to 'wow' the listeners. And everyone knew that Jerry always had to come out as the winner. Often he would put others down in order to make himself look good. Whatever it took, Jerry was intent on exalting himself.  

 

Then one day Jerry came face to face with the claims of God's love as found in the Bible:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 
1 Corinthians 13:4  

with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.   
Ephesians 4:2,3

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.   
Proverbs 27:1,2

But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.   
James 4:16

They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.   
Psalm 94:4

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.   
James 3:13,14

Love admires, prefers, and honors others above itself.

Love is not proud, arrogant, or haughty.

Love does not brag about itself or its accomplishments, or point out its good qualities.

Love will keep one from seeking to exalt itself, it will be willing to take the lowest position, to serve unnoticed, and to direct praise and rewards to others.

Love will not seek promotion at the expense of others or try to make itself look good at the expense of others. 

Love only does good to please others, not to impress them. 

Love does not compare itself with others, always trying to out-do them.
Love will make one easy to get along with and a pleasure to be around.