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Extracts of Truth & Encouragement from a Growth Journey with God
What’s Love NOT to Do (Part 2)–Mouth (and Heart) Matters
Have you ever been really mad, and words start flowing out of your mouth that just aren’t like you? I have! I’ve thought, “Where did that come from?!?” knowing full well it was a deeper matter than just what was going on at the moment.
We’ve been digging into matters of love in 1 Corinthians 13 for a number of posts: What love IS and what it ISN’T. In this post, we’re going to continue looking at what love doesn’t do…and we’ll find that anger and frustration aren’t the only things that produce free-flowing words or insensitive actions.
Love Doesn’t:
- Brag/show off (Vs. 4). I’m sure we’ve all known people who tend to one-up any story we’ve told, sharing a better experience, having a more prized possession, going to a more amazing place,…It’s pretty safe to say that this type of person consistently makes withdrawals from someone’s bank of perceived worth, rather than placing deposits, as true love does. As with many of the “don’ts” in love’s list, bragging, itself, is not a sin, as zeal is a positive form of jealousy. What or who we brag about, however, is what determines the heart and whether or not it is what God prefers (agapé love).
23“This is what the LORD says: ‘The wise man is not to boast in his wisdom; the strong man is not to boast in his strength; and the rich man is not to boast in his riches.
24If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know Me. They should brag that I, the LORD, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases Me,’ declares the LORD.”
Jeremiah 9:23 ISV and 24 GWT
The Greek word for “boast” in these two verses is “halal” and means “to be boastful, to praise.” When I talk, who am I boasting about, approving, or admiring?
Am I full of a disproportionate amount of pride and/or too much satisfaction with myself or my achievements?
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Luke 6:45 NIV
Whatever your Bible translation says in the last sentence of this verse (“overflow, flows from, abundance, full of,…”), the Greek word for it is “perisseuma,” which was created from a noun meaning “excess.” It means that there is more than what one thought was possible. Perisseuma focuses on the results of this excess and how they affect a situation. Obviously, in this context, the excess of what is in our hearts affects our words.
What is my heart overflowing with?
How is this affecting what comes out of my mouth?
- Act arrogantly (Vs. 4). My parents have a wood burning stove in their home. I loved when my dad would bring in wood from the back porch and start a fire. I remember just sitting in the dark, watching the embers. At times, my dad would grab fireplace bellows to help keep the fire going. As he pulled the handles apart, the bellows filled with air; as he brought the handles together, the air blew out onto the embers. The air would, then, transition the glowing areas of the fire into flames.
- You may have heard Verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 13 state that “love isn’t puffed up.” The Greek word for “puffed up” is “physióō.” Much like the fireplace bellows, our thoughts of ourselves, inflating words from others, etc., can fill us and enlarge or swell up what we think of ourselves. Pretty soon, arrogance is gushing out of us, like the air, forcefully charging out of the bellows, igniting our words and, perhaps, others, upon hearing them. “Physióō” comes from the Greek word, phýsis, which refers to our inward features or make-up…our mental and psychological nature.
What am I allowing in, and how is it affecting what I think about and how I feel?
Have I let any compliments or personal thoughts fuel any inflated views of myself, my importance, or my abilities?
If yes, are my words or actions coming across as arrogant?
Doing self checks are vitally important for all of us!
My daughter loves movies! Last week, in her Bible class, she was challenged to watch a movie, from a list of approved films, and compare what beliefs were present (world views) with what the Bible says about each (Biblical world view). The movie she selected was one she’s watched many, many times throughout the years. However, this time, she picked up on several things she’d never picked up on before, as she was challenged to look deeper and discern. How often do we take a deeper look and discern? Do we take the time? Are we analyzing what we allow in? Since completing that assignment, I’ve seen my daughter make some really neat decisions about what she opens the door of her heart to…and changes have been made in her words as a result.
What is the LORD showing you during your check-in?
1qbox 350 and Orators Speak. “Love is love” and “love is love.” Urban Dictionary, 22 January 2020 and 22 March 2011, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Love%20is%20love.
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