Love Is Not Proud

Post date: May 1, 2017 12:13:04 PM

“In pride we become the objects of our own love; in humility we learn to love others.”

When I think of the word pride, many images come to mind. We can certainly be proud in a good way--proud of the accomplishments and achievements of others, proud of our heritage (whether cultural, familial or ethnic), and even proud of our own growth and ability to overcome hardship. However, the type of pride that Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 13, and the one that we are cautioned against, is where we become the objects of our own love. Rather than allowing God’s love to flow into and through us, much like a river or a channel, we build a reservoir and keep it. Instead of allowing God’s love in us to flow outward towards others--we keep it to ourselves for ourselves. Ultimately, instead of loving and uplifting others, we seek to do whatever necessary (even at the expense of those around us) to please and uplift ourselves.

“Pride is concerned first about getting its own way, while love looks out first for the needs of another.”

When it comes to being intentional about loving others the way God loves me, I tend to get in my own way (and quite often in God’s way, if I’m being honest) when I’m focused on getting my own way. When the focus is excessively on my needs, my desires, my hurts--just me--there’s not much room left for anyone else, really. As we’ve been working through 1 Corinthians 13 these past few months, one of the recurring themes that has come up for me is how often my inability to love the way Jesus loves me is because of how consumed I become with my - self. I can’t say how many times I’m tempted to have the “Me, first!” attitude in any given situation.

What’s really curious about this is that when we are tempted to think of ourselves first, with little to no consideration of others, it’s often somehow connected to a deficit somewhere else in our hearts/souls--some area where we have not allowed God’s love and cleansing light to expose and heal an unresolved issue. It may be that we have a deep, hidden insecurity that we hide by being overly confident or puffed up; putting others down, in order to compensate for what we think we lack. Or, perhaps our issue might be that we refuse to be vulnerable and actually admit that we need something or someone because harsh life experiences have taught us that to need or express need is weakness. Either way, if we persist in pride, we soon find that our hearts and very lives can become empty--devoid of the love that Jesus died for us to have, experience and share with those around us.

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves." (Benjamin Whichcote)

The manner of love that God longs to share and pour out over us is so great. It’s extravagant. Disarming. Seemingly reckless at times, even. So, as we think about the nature of God’s love, let’s be intentional this month about leaning into Him. Let’s allow His amazing love not just to flood our hearts and remain with us, but to flow out to those around us. Let’s be rivers and not reservoirs. Let’s choose to move beyond self and love without restraint and without pride.