A couple of days ago I talked to you about love and how it takes action—real love does! Love even fuels endurance: “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, NIV). I’ve examined what love IS, but let’s also look at what it ISN’T!
Take a look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away” (NIV). From this you see that love is not: impatient, unkind, envious, boastful or proud, dishonoring, self-seeking, easily angered…the list goes on!
If you find yourself in any of these traps, remember who you are in Christ. It’s easy to get trapped in something as simple as impatience. Impatience has the power to flip your whole day around. When you’re impatient with a child who needs gentle instruction, it’s hurtful instead of life-giving. When you’re unkind to someone, you lose out on the opportunity to show Christ’s love and end up hurting that person. What about envy? Even though this is sometimes only expressed internally, it still keeps you from being happy for other people.
What do you need to do? You need to be a person of virtue, someone who values God’s Word, takes it to heart, and cares about the well-being of others over yourself. Let’s get real! Churches that are growing are churches that are real. If you really love God and love people, you’ll put them before yourself. At the end of the day, it’s your actions, not your words, that prove your love.