We’ve been looking this week at what Paul teaches us about love in 1 Corinthians 13. So far we’ve seen that without love we gain nothing int he eyes of God. Paul then tells us that love is seen in patience and kindness toward others. Have we been working on our love? Have you been more patient and kind than before? Are you working on it? As we work on those let’s add the next ones.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that love does not envy and it does not boast.
Envy is jealousy. Related to covetousness, bitterness, malice, hatred, ungodliness. Satan tries to use this on us quite often. It is easy to become envious of someone else’s possessions, talents, or relationships. Satan wants us to be jealous and become bitter and unkind. When we envy someone we do not have love for them. We aren’t going to show any kind of love toward them. Love does not seek its own. It is not selfish. We may find ourselves tempted at times to be jealous of someone, but we have to fight it and focus on love. Love does not envy. Don’t do it.
A good friend of envy is boasting. This is another way Satan tries to bring us down. Satan wants us to feel like we’re in a competition. Like we’re in a fight to show who is better than who. When things are going well for us or we are talented in something it is easy for us to want to boast about it to others. We like to show off to others who are not as good as us. We can be focused on being the greatest and not on love. Love does not seek to put others down. It does not want to brag and show off. Love wants to use talents and blessings to help and serve. Love glorifies God and not self. Love does not boast. Love is humble and kind. Don’t boast.
Starting right now let’s start working on not being envious of someone and not boasting in ourselves. Let’s work on love. Love does not envy or boast.
A Cord of Blue 