Thursday, September 27, 2018

September 27 Thought for the day...are you rude?


When I started writing regarding real love, I mentioned that as Paul was writing 1 Corinthians 13, he was dealing with "hyper-spiritual" people who had gifts but very little love. These people were like noisy chatter and were so irritating that they could make you angry because of their lack of love. I think that is what Paul is digging into here when he says this...

Love is...."not rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged." 1 Corinthians 13:5

When Paul is talking about the word "rude," he is referring to a person who is always talking about themselves, endlessly promoting or exaggerating their own virtues. The person who is like this tends to exaggerate so much that it often crosses over to lying. This characteristic enjoys talking about themselves and is often referred to as a "windbag." Most people, when you know a person who is this way you often want to go the other way when you see them coming. An individual in this mindset is so self-consumed that they don't even seem to notice the hard work of others around them.

Often people boast or exaggerate endlessly because they have some hidden agenda, they want others to see them as more than what they are, or they want some kind of special status in the eyes of others. They may also simply be insecure and are trying to mask their insecurity by boasting.

God's kind of love, the love we should have toward each other, is strong. It is so strong that it doesn't need to boast. In fact, it wants to see the accomplishments of others promoted. It seeks to build others up to make them feel valued and secure. God's love is always others-focused.

It is always OK to be proud of what the Lord has accomplished through you and to share it with others. The motivation should be, giving God honor and glory. Titles don't make the person, character does. If your actions reflect a grace of God, a talent, skill or anointing in your life then you don't need self-promotion for people to know who you are, they will see it in you and through your life.


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