Love Does Not Envy or Boast
Love Does Not Envy or Boast. Why do we call this a "dog eat dog" world? Envy is at the root of success! We fight with all of our being for that promotion, but is it really only the increase in salary that we are after?
Love does not envy or boast.
1 Corinthians 13:4b, ESV
4
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy
of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:4, ESV
But
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV
Love Does Not Envy or Boast
Love does not envy or boast. We live in a world filled with envy and boastfulness. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, All toil and skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. That is a rather profound thought!
Why do we call this a "dog eat dog"
world? Envy is at the root of success! We fight with all of our being
for that promotion, but is it really only the increase in salary that we
are after? The increase in salary is nice, but being raised up in the
eyes of our fellow workers is even nicer!
1 John tells us to guard our hearts because our hearts deceive us; it is important that we examine our hearts before the Lord. Envy is natural to us; meekness is not!
Boasting
is really the flip side of envy; we envy others and we boast about
ourselves. In the end, does it really matter what anyone thinks of us
apart from God? Do you remember those school days? Oh how important it was to
be in the "in" crowd. Our whole school life seemed to revolve around our
"place" in the pecking order. Then what happened when you moved on -
went to college or started a job? Suddenly all of those school labels
meant nothing.
I really like 2 Corinthians 12:9; there is a circumstance where we really are allowed to boast! Paul said, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Our weakness, our smallness, our frailty all bring glory to God.
What is our chief purpose? Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever! (Westminster Shorter Catechism) We are not here to bring honor or glory to our name; we only do good by the good hand of God upon us. Our boasting, therefore, should only be boasting in Christ.
God is love; love does not boast or envy!
Pray today that God will keep you from envy or boasting, but will instead cause you to glorify God.
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