4… charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; [simple_tooltip content=’1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’](1 Corinthians 1:1-13)[/simple_tooltip]
The old English word vaunteth simply means “to boast.” The New International Version translates this phrase as “it does not boast, it is not proud.” In other words, those who are full of God’s love don’t think they are better than others.
I’ve been on the platform with a number of Christian celebrities, and some have thought they were better than others. They demanded better rooms, better cars, better offerings, and said things like, “Don’t you know who I am?” That’s not characteristic of God’s kind of love!
On the other hand, I was once with a television personality who is famous in both the secular and Christian realms. He showed the love of God that is in his heart. Because of poor weather, the crowds were a fraction of what was expected; yet this man gave it all he had, just as if there were thousands there. He ministered to the people individually, and not just the pretty ones but those who were hurting the most. He showed true humility, which spoke volumes to me of the work God had done in his heart.
Of course, the supreme example of God’s love expressed in humility is our Lord Jesus Christ. He was King of kings and Lord of lords, yet He regularly associated with the lowest of the lowest. It was God’s love that compelled Him to lay down His life for us, and if we have His kind of love, we can do the same for others.
Today, be mindful of your attitudes toward people. Do you think you are better than some and not as good as others, or do you love everyone with the love Jesus has for you?
