Hello friends,
The next characteristic of love we will learn about is, that Love is Not Proud.
Pride: High or overbearing opinion of one's worth or importance. Boast, elation, or satisfaction at achievements, qualities, or possessions.
Proud: Feeling greatly honored. Haughty; arrogant. Well pleased, satisfied, contented. Conceited, vain.
So it is proud/pride. It does not mean it is not ok to take pride in your work or something you worked hard on and finished ( maybe a wood carving, painting, a project at work. Or accomplishing a degree from school or a certification, ect.) Nothing wrong with that at all. The pride/proud we are looking at is more so of being puffed up, arrogant, boasting ( remember that love does not boast), conceited, making others feel belittled, ect.
1 Samuel 2:3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."
Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of lowly position."
Our heavenly Father, wants us to be humble and love each other no matter where we stand in society; if we are wealthy or poor. Cool or not. If we have a big, important job or a small role job, ect. God wants us to associate with one another. It is wrong to shun someone because he or she is not hip, cool, wealthy, attractive, ect. As followers of him, we need to love everyone around us, and not just those hip, cool people either. We are the body of Christ and are all precious in his sight. Grow up all of you clique people!
Romans 8: 1-3 "...we know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up; but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God."
Being proud/ prideful is not a good thing as we will see in the word.
Proverbs 16:5 "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished."
Luke 18:14 "...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Proverbs 13:10 "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
Proverbs 21:24 "The proud and arrogant man-"mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride."
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." This is where the phrase "Pride comes before the fall" comes from.
That being said, we need to be humble and love others; not just the cool, hip, wealthy, charming people, but everyone! We need to be open to hearing what others have to say and what they know; they very well may have the solution to a problem you are trying to solve. Help others learn rather than belittle them that you know better than they, if they do not quite know it. Be willing to ask for help and for advice. I can tell you helping others and getting help from others is a great feeling. You can save yourself some major headaches that way.
Finally, in a time when people are low, and depressed and lonely, look to bring people in. reach out to someone you know might be needing help or just a friend, bring that person into your group. Help others grow and encourage them too. Excluding people from the "cool" group is not cool at all, nor does this make you look cool at all. Love like Christ, and include people.
Know that God is love. We all struggle and make mistakes. I know I am prideful sometimes; I know I am puffed up about my knowledge of reptiles and amphibians from time to time, it is a struggle. God forgives. Seek him, he loves no matter what you have done.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
1 Corinthians 13: What is Love?: Love does Not Boast
Hello Everyone,
This will a short blog, but hopefully a helpful one. We will continue to learn about what love is. We will first look at Love does Not Boast.
What does boast mean? well, Boast: talk about oneself with indulgent pride. Act of boasting. Brag. Blow one's own trumpet.
In short, if you get a promotion or a new vehicle or a nice vacation, don't go bragging about it, and I do not mean do not get excited or not share it with anyone, but be nice about. Don't be rubbing it in the faces of people, especially if you know that is something they are working towards but it just has not happened for them and they are feeling down about it. It is a good thing to share victories and happy moments with people and it is good to be happy for those whom gain these things, just doing it in moderation.
Another thing is that bragging about yourself and your accomplishments can be a negative thing as well. Going around and bragging about you and how great you are can be rude. It is for sure a good thing to share your accomplishments as well as others. It is a great thing to be proud of your work and the goals you succeed in reaching. However, saying your better than someone else all the time ( it sometimes can be done in jest and you and others can have fun with it) but sometimes it can certainly tear someone down.
Let us look at some of the verses that talk about boasting.
Proverbs 27:1-2 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you; and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips."
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Here the final one I will leave with you.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works; so that no one can boast."
So the point is that we should celebrate our achievements and goals we make, but do it in a kind way that does not tear some one down. Be humble about it. Try to help some one out with a goal he or she is aiming for. Be loving.
This will a short blog, but hopefully a helpful one. We will continue to learn about what love is. We will first look at Love does Not Boast.
What does boast mean? well, Boast: talk about oneself with indulgent pride. Act of boasting. Brag. Blow one's own trumpet.
In short, if you get a promotion or a new vehicle or a nice vacation, don't go bragging about it, and I do not mean do not get excited or not share it with anyone, but be nice about. Don't be rubbing it in the faces of people, especially if you know that is something they are working towards but it just has not happened for them and they are feeling down about it. It is a good thing to share victories and happy moments with people and it is good to be happy for those whom gain these things, just doing it in moderation.
Another thing is that bragging about yourself and your accomplishments can be a negative thing as well. Going around and bragging about you and how great you are can be rude. It is for sure a good thing to share your accomplishments as well as others. It is a great thing to be proud of your work and the goals you succeed in reaching. However, saying your better than someone else all the time ( it sometimes can be done in jest and you and others can have fun with it) but sometimes it can certainly tear someone down.
Let us look at some of the verses that talk about boasting.
Proverbs 27:1-2 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you; and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips."
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Here the final one I will leave with you.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works; so that no one can boast."
So the point is that we should celebrate our achievements and goals we make, but do it in a kind way that does not tear some one down. Be humble about it. Try to help some one out with a goal he or she is aiming for. Be loving.
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