Love is …(Part 4)

“Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;” 1 Cor. 13:4

One definition of love is the absence of pride and boasting, and today's verse helps us understand what love is not. The Greek terms περπερεύομαι (perpereuomai) and φυσιόω (physioō) illustrate this concept. "Parade" in Greek, perpereuomai, means to boast, and physioō translates to puffing up or inflating oneself. These actions and attitudes are absent from true love.

Firstly, true love secures us. It fills the voids within our hearts that might otherwise lead us to seek external affirmation through boasting. When we truly experience God's love, we recognize our intrinsic value in God's eyes—this realization eliminates the need to seek superiority over others as a way of compensating for feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.

Secondly, the antidote to self-inflation is humility. Humility grounds us, helping us see the value and equality in others. This reflects the nature of God Himself, as shown through Jesus, whose humility was so profound that He sacrificed Himself out of love for us.

Reflection

What areas do you feel the need to promote yourself in? Reflect on where you may be seeking validation and consider how a deeper understanding of God’s love might change your heart's condition.

Prayer:

We come before You to receive Your Agape love, a love that does not boast, nor is puffed up. Lord, fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we may be secured by Your love, not seeking external validation. Teach us the humility that Christ modeled, allowing us to see and treat others with the equality and respect they deserve. We renounce all boasting and self-inflation, inviting Your love to fill and secure us, making us whole, healthy, and centered on You rather than ourselves. In Jesus' Name, Amen.