Golden Nugget - The Power of Love Part 2 & Worship with Terry MacAlmon

We are busy discussing the practicalities of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. 

Although the following three attributes of love are not in sequence in this text, they are related.

Love does not boast, is not self-seeking, and is not proud.  The King James Version defines being proud so beautifully: Love does not parade itself.  By being proud you put yourself on a higher level than others.  You may appear humble and nice to others and even bluff yourself, but if you think higher of yourself than you ought to (Romans 12:3) you are proud.  In Christ, we are all on the same level (Galatians 3:27-28).

Love is about others.  The moment you catch yourself doing either of these, you don't love - you're putting the focus on yourself.  Boasting and parading yourself enhances you at the cost of others.  It may make them feel inferior.  Love doesn't do that.  Love makes others feel special, sometimes at your expense.  Therefore boasting and parading self are loveless acts born of being self-seeking. 

Love is not easily angered.  Love considers the effect of our behaviour on others.  If you act in anger, those near to you usually take the brunt.  Therefore, if you desire to act in love, you would want to spare others this and restrain your anger.  This supports the fact that love is an action.  You may tell me as much as you like that you love me, but if your actions show the contrary, I won't believe you.  It's possible to love intermittently as determined by your deeds.

Love keeps no record of the wrongs.  If we keep on digging up offences we are self-centred.  The source of the urge to remind others of their offences is probably pride, which is often instigated by Satan.  Pulling someone down by reminding them of their wrongdoing will make you feel superior.  Love, on the other hand, supports and helps others to overcome their weaknesses, even if you feel you are right and they are wrong. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  People tend to justify the sinful things they do.  Sometimes when we see people involved with something sinful, we don’t get involved to help them right, for we think it’s not too bad.  But, what will happen to that person?  Sometimes we Christians are even worse; we gossip about them.  Jesus, however, commands us in Matthew 18:15: If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  Love cares about others in spite of our own embarrassment and discomfort.  We also need to consider the honour of the Lord when we allow evil into our lives.  God’s enemies laugh at Him when His children get involved with wilful sin (2 Samuel 12:13-14).  If we allow that, can we say we love Him?  We need to work at erasing evil and rejoice when truth wins.

Then the big four: Love

1.   Always protects.  Other translations state it as ‘covers everything’.  When you love someone, inclusive of those you don’t like, you cover their weaknesses and mistakes, in fact, everything that could ruin a relationship. In other words, you don’t judge them, but choose to help them.

2.   Always trusts.   Other translations state it as ‘believes everything’.  Love believes the best about others, even if their behaviour proves the contrary.  We need to trust God that He is at work in people’s lives if we pray for them.  It’s not up to us to decide what people will turn out to be.  Our job is to help them.

3.   Always hopes.  Love hopes the best for people.  As long as God is in charge, there is always hope.  People can change.  Would you like hope to be there for you?  Then keep your hope for others alive.

4.   Always perseveres.  Other translations state it as ‘tolerates everything’.  Don’t give up on anybody.  Keep on believing in them, keep on praying for them, and keep on doing what you believe the Lord guides you to do for them.  Even if a person doesn’t seem to change, you keep on loving.  In Christ, you are bigger than your feelings and frustrations.

Father, help us to love like you do.  Help us realise how much you have to bear with us.


Let's worship with Terry MacAlmon