CHRISTIAN LOVE – DOES NOT ENVY NOR BOAST

“CHRISTIAN LOVE DOES NOT ENVY NOR BOAST” – what powerful words to dismantle the very foundations of the edifice, and the boastful pretentions of the fallen heart of its “righteousness,” in loving itself, over and above everything and everyone else. ENVY and BOASTING, are the two negative qualities that we will look into, as part of our study on love, as found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
– “4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

ENVY
Envy is wanting, desiring and coveting what others have, but we don’t, in a purely negative sense. Envy may be invisible, many times, and could be very subtle, and present itself as something reasonable and legitimate, even though it surely is, a terrible sin. It eats away the person that it embodies, and make him so sinfully restless, that he cannot have peace of mind, without disturbing others, and destroying lives…including himself.
– “Is envy a small sin? Envy murdered Abel (Genesis 4:3-8). Envy enslaved Joseph (Genesis 37:11, 28). Envy put Jesus on the cross: ‘For he [Pilate] knew that they had handed Him over because of envy (Matthew 27:18).'” – Enduring Word Commentary
Jonathan Edwards writing about envy in “Charity And Its Fruits” says…
– “Envy may be defined as a spirit of dissatisfaction with and opposition to the prosperity and happiness of others as compared to our own,”
Envy is the most deadliest of all “sweet” poisons. It kills the person, yet he cannot see it coming. What a tragedy.

BOASTING
A person who boasts, is someone, who is proud, condescending and disparaging about others, because, in his prejudiced and pride filled opinion, others are not as “gifted” as he is. He not only talks big about what he has, but also looks down upon those who don’t. It is the exact opposite of humility. It is the “other side of the coin” of envy or jealousy.
– “This boastfulness that Paul mentions here [1 Corinthians 13:4] really is a parallel evil to envy. Whereas envy is angry and jealous over a blessing given to another person, boastfulness is pride over blessings given to us and not to other people…Ironically, a boastful person is trying to stimulate envy in other people. He would delight in other people being envious of him. It’s an evil thing. It makes us feel superior to others.” – Dr. Andrew M. Davis

Dear friends, brothers and sisters, what is it that is driving our lives? Is it the love, as defined by the Word of God, and as perfectly embodied in the way God deals with you and me, the fallen human beings? Is it God, who is the driving force, in our lives, or is it the Lucifer? God is the embodiment of love, and all that is good. Lucifer is the embodiment of all that is evil, and self-destructive. May the LORD help us to love and live like Him. Let us seek Him earnestly that, we would be His children, and His disciples, walking in His footsteps…all the days of our lives. Even so the LORD help us.