Love is so valuable and important, that apart from it, every other good thing is useless. Are you a charitable person? Are you walking in the way if love? Let’s find out by zooming in on the checklist found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love suffers long: The kind of love that God is calling us to will endure a long time. This kind of love is the heart shown in God when it is said of the Lord, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). If God’s love is in us, we will show longsuffering to those who annoy us and hurt us.
Love is kind: When we have and show God’s love, it will be seen in simple acts of kindness. A wonderful measure of kindness is to see how children receive us. Children won’t receive from or respond to unkind people.
Love does not envy: Envy is one of the least productive and most damaging of all sins. It accomplishes nothing, except to hurt. Love does not resent when someone else is promoted or blessed. Love does not want what belongs to others. A heart that loves and does not envy is willing to have others be preferred before them.
Love does not parade itself: Love does not have to have the limelight or the attention to do a good job, or to be satisfied with the result. Love gives because it loves to give, not out of the sense of praise it can have from showing itself off. God is calling us to love with a love that does not do things just to be seen by humans. Our act of service should be for an audience of one.
Love is not puffed up: To be puffed up is to be arrogant and self-focused. It speaks of someone who has a “big head.” Love doesn’t get its head swelled; it focuses on the needs of others. Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant or haughty way. We need a love that’s humble.
Love does not behave rudely: Where there is love, there will be kindness and good manners. We are being called to love with a love that respects people, no matter the age or race.
Love does not seek its own: In Philippians 2:4 it says: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. This is being like Jesus in a most basic way. We are being called to seek the welfare of others as more important than our own – even when personal sacrifice and self-denial become necessary.
Love is not provoked: We all find it easy to be provoked or to become irritated with those who are just plain annoying. However, God is calling us to a place where the love we have is not so easily irritated and quick to respond with a sharp word. We are being called to love with a love that’s slow to become angry and irritated.
Love thinks no evil: Love does not store up the memory of any wrong it has received. Love will put away the hurts of the past instead of clinging to them. This kind of love will forgive and move on.
Love does not rejoice in iniquity: Love is willing to want the best for others and refuses to colour things against others. Instead, love rejoices in the truth. Love can always stand with and on truth because love is pure and good.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things: Friend, this is what true love does! In reality, we can all bear some things, we can all believe some things, we can all hope some things, and we can all endure some things. But God is calling us higher and deeper into love for Him, for one another, and for the world.
Respond: Spend some time praying through the checklist above. Be sure to write down your growth areas. Spend your days praying through them, but don’t fail to put this love in action. It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible!
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Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.