What Love Doesn’t Do

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

[Love] does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice. (1 Corinthians 13:5-6)

LOVE IS A CHOICE. Love is an action. Love is not a feeling. Love does. Statements like these have become increasingly common in recent years as Christian culture responds to distortions in the culture at large. We ardently defend the true definition of love because we see so many false definitions and terrible misapplications. Unfortunately, many people are much more focused on preserving the definition than on living it out, but the definition is nevertheless important. If love is meant to be our defining characteristic, we need to know what it is. We need to treat it as more than a sentiment and put it into action. We need to know what it does—and what it doesn’t do.

In keeping with the attitudes of the previous verses, Paul lists some things that love does not do. Not surprisingly, these don’ts are focused on self and what results from the attitudes that preceded them. They are full of self-promotion—a symptom of a normal human need for fulfillment being pursued in abnormal, counterproductive ways. Our fallen nature focuses on getting what we need emotionally, relationally, and materially, even at the expense of others, never realizing that the key to getting what we need is actually giving others what they need. Jesus made that clear in his teachings, telling his disciples they would receive according to the measure that they gave (Luke 6:38). In the ways of the world, the hungry heart thinks it only needs to feed itself. In the ways of the Kingdom, the hungry heart is wise enough to find its fullness in feeding others. The only way to find love in this world is to begin overflowing with it.

Make that your goal. The promise of Jesus is that when you do, it will come back to you in an even greater flow. The inward-focused heart destroys itself. The outward-focused heart is a blessing to itself and all others.

{Lord, turn my attentions to those around me. Forgive me for being focused on myself. I choose to meet the needs of others and will trust you to meet mine. May I spend my love as freely as you do. Amen.