“Charity [love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
Having God’s kind of love in our hearts means having the kind of love that makes us willing to miss doing something we want to do and to do something else instead—something someone needs us to do for them. For example, God’s kind of love will make us stay after school with a kid in class who is struggling and patiently help him with his homework, even if it means we will miss going to the ice cream parlor to choose from thirty flavors.
God’s kind of love is always kind to all people from all over the world. God’s sort of kindness would never make negative, mean-spirited, or mocking jokes.
Love does not envy and is not jealous of others. God’s kind of love makes us grateful and happy for all He is making us to be and for everything He provides for us.
Pride gives us a swelled head. Pride makes us arrogant. Pride thinks we are better than others and have better things. Pride makes us boast about ourselves and jeer at others. But God’s kind of love in our hearts stops us from feeling proud, boastful, and jeering.
God’s love is perfect toward us, even though we are not perfect. And He wants all of us to love others with His kind of love.
God wants you to be kind.
My response:
» Is my love sacrificial? Am I willing to give up what I want so others can have what they want or need?
» Am I kind to others, even if they are very different from me?
» If someone makes fun of me, am I kind in return because I have God’s kind of love in my heart?