- 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 (NIV84)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love … It is not rude.
It is patient, kind. It does not envy or brag. Is not proud, not self-seeking, not easily angered. Is forgetful when it comes to being wronged.
Just reading this again and honestly wondering, as I observe how we too often treat each other – Do we really believe this? Do we attach the significance of how we treat the people around us to our true view of God and his desire for our lives? How can we think that we honor God by shifting our priorities above his, scribbling over the God-breathed words with the expediency of our self-seeking rationalizations?
We sometimes say, “Well, it’s complicated.”
But it’s not. I mean, if we believe God, and really believe that his words are our ultimate authority and guide. Believe all that stuff about his wisdom and knowledge and love and care and sovereignty …
So do we believe it? Or is is it “God said it, I believe it, that settles it!”
Unless …
But it is in fact as simple as it appears on the written page of the holy book. God says it. Not rude. Not proud. And, yes, our lives are complicated, but do we really believe that ignoring these basic instructions that our all-knowing God gives us to live by will help us see our world and our lives more clearly?
So why don’t our “sin alarms” go off as we plow through life and ignore the words that God gives such high priority?
The directive to love – love God, love neighbor at the top of our list of priorities.
The definition of love – See 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Important teaching. Crucial to understanding and honoring God as we live on this Earth.
How about if we just took these one at a time, just the ones in verses 4-5, and live those words for a day.
“Today, I will be rude to no one.”
Write it down on a card and keep it in my pocket. Send an email to myself or make a reminder in my calendar program. Whatever method we use determine – I will not justify or rationalize one single, solitary action of rudeness for the entire day. Follow it up with this – If I am rude, I will not rationalize my actions, but I will confess my sin. Try it. Discover who you are, who God is, who you are becoming, make God smile, drink in his peace as one who is walking the path with Jesus.
Tomorrow, who knows, maybe I will live on “kind” for the day, or really push the envelope and embrace “patient” for 24 hours.
