Love Is Not Rude, Self-seeking, and Provoked

Love –

We have been looking at a portion of 1 Corinthians 13, using the Amplified Translation. 

 Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. ⁵ It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. ⁶ It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. ⁷ Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].⁸ Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away.

Today, we will be focusing on Love Is Not Rude, Self-seeking, and Provoked

Rude – discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way: a rude reply- rough in manners or behavior -rough, harsh, or ungentle.

Self-Seeking – the seeking of one’s own interest or selfish ends.

Provoked – to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex – to stir up, arouse – stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action

If Love isn’t Rude, Self-Seeking, and Easily Provoked

Then walking in self-seeking, the only concern of oneself, and not tuning into the best interest of others means walking in sin, apart from God’s loving ways.

God’s love is not self-seeking but self-serving.

Love desires to lay oneself down, seeking to serve others instead of oneself. 

One walking in love takes no thoughts of showing rudeness toward another beloved human but politeness, gentleness, and kindness toward another.

When waking in God’s love, it finds itself not easily provoked. No matter what comes against oneself, one can rest in the profound enlightenment of God’s love and only show forth love in return.

As we saturate ourselves in God’s Word, study His love, and take time to soak in His presence, the more we find ourselves walking in His love toward others.

The more we are consumed in thoughts of ourselves, the more we become self-seeking. The more we want only for ourselves, the ruder we become toward others. When we focus on our emotions and expect others to fulfill our needs, and they don’t, we quickly become angry.

When we find ourselves walking in this ungodly behavior, we are comforted, knowing that we can go before the Lord, and through His grace, we can be forgiven and washed through His word.

Walking as Jesus walked on this earth, with God’s Love, is a process we learn how to do by developing a daily relationship with Him regularly.

The more we grow in God’s love, the more we walk out His love toward others. I find this true in my life and am grateful for God’s grace in walking this out.