Let’s Talk About Love: What IS Love? Page 4 – Characteristics
OK, let’s go verse by verse, looking at the characteristics that the Apostle Paul uses to describe God’s love. In verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV), “Love is patient.” Interestingly enough, patience – or longsuffering – is one of the fruits that we will explore later!
In 2 Peter 3:9 (Amplified) it says that God is “…longsuffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentence.”
God is waiting patiently for us to repent and be saved because he loves us, and doesn’t want even one of us to perish. God never gives up on people so neither should we. When we are patient, God’s love can be exhibited through our lives.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) continues with, “Love is kind.” This is also another one of the fruits of the spirit that we will explore later! In order to demonstrate our love, we need to be kind and considerate to others, as Paul writes in Ephesians 4:32 (NIV), “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Through the sacrifice of Christ, God showed us how to show forgiveness in the ultimate act of kindness!
In order for us to show kindness to others, we must look toward others and away from ourselves. Philippians 2:4 (Amplified) says, “Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not (merely) his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.” Kindness is action. We must show kindness toward others. This is true Agape love : to show kindness toward those who don’t deserve it.
The next part of verse 4 says, “Love is not envious.” As we saw earlier, envy is an ill feeling toward someone who is enjoying something good that we want for ourselves. God’s kind of love shows joy over the prosperity and well-being of others. If we will keep our hearts stayed on God, we won’t have to envy others, for Matthew 6:33 (NIV) says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” There should be no reason for us to want what someone else has. In Psalm 37:4 (NIV) God promises, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” You see, God is your Father. He wants to bless you!
The final portion of 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) says, “Love is not boastful or vainglorious, is not puffed up, is not conceited.” Here again, love does not center on itself. To show God’s love, we must not seek to build ourselves up, but to build up God – and let God have the job of building us up. 2 Corinthians 10:18 (Amplified) says, For [it is] not [the man] who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but [it is the person] whom the Lord accredits and commends.”
And then in 1 Peter 5:6 (Amplified) it says, “Therefore humble yourselves (denote, lower yourselves in your own estimation) under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.” Humility, or meekness, is also one of the fruits of the Spirit that we will look at later! When we humble ourselves before God, we must depend completely on Him, knowing that it is He who provides all of our needs, not we ourselves. I have seen that this is a difficult thing for educated and self-sufficient people to grasp and practice. If they know it all, and can do it all – and take care of themselves – it is very difficult for these folks to submit to and trust God. If we try to exalt ourselves, we will surely fail, as Proverbs 16:18 (KJV) relates, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an hauty spirit before destruction.”
Wow! All this teaching from one little verse!We’ll look at more in the next post!