More Characteristics of Love 1 Corinthians 13:5

Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up”, and in chapter thirteen and verse five of First Corinthians, Paul shared with the Corinthian church more of the characteristics of “charity” or “love”, where we read:

Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;

The verse begins, “Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own,...”. Paul began with the words, “does not behave itself unseemly” which means “does not act unbecomingly or uncomely”, “seeks not” which means “does not look for a thing in order to find, strive for, crave or demand” “her own” or “itself”. Paul shared how the God kind of “love” does not “act unbecomingly” nor does it “strive for and demand” it's own way.

The verse continues, “... is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;” Paul added the words, “is not easily provoked” or “is not stirred, stimulated, spurred, irritated, scorned, despised or aroused to anger”, “thinks” which means “reckons, counts, computes, calculate or makes account of” “no evil” or “no wickedness, wrong, baneful or destructiveness”.”Love”, according to Paul, is not “stirred or aroused to anger” and does not “count” or “make account of wickedness and wrong”.

When we meditate upon these words from Paul, we see how “love” is not only patient, kind, not braggy or boastful, but also doesn't behave in a way that is “unbecoming” or “self-seeking”. “Love” is not “irritated” or “accounting of wickedness” either. Jesus Christ fulfills all these traits, and should we desire to live after this “God kind of love”, we may do so by the help and aid of the Holy Spirit of God.

Next time Paul tells the church members how love, “rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.