2) Love Attributes
Now that we know how the bible defines love. Let us look at this definition more closely and see what it means.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESVST)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
– Love is patient and kind
Being patient means to have the ability to wait for something to happen or not happen. Having the ability to wait without being restless. Having the ability to understand. Having the ability to tolerate. Being kind is showing a tender, considerate and helpful nature towards others and even to yourself.
– Love does not envy or boast
To be envious is to want something that belongs to another person that you yourself don’t have. To be envious is to wish that what belongs to another could and should be yours. To boast is to speak of yourself in a positive way with too much pride and self indulgence.
– Love is not arrogant or rude
Being arrogant is to be highly consumed with pride that everyone else is inferior and you are superior. To be rude is to display a socially unacceptable behavior, to be bad mannered.
– Love does not insist on its way
To insist on your way is to forcefully want your way to be the only way. It is to completely disregard anything else or anyone else’s viewpoint but yours.
– Love is not irritable or resentful
To be irritable is to be easily annoyed. To be resentful is to be bitter about something. To be angry about something
– Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with truth
Love prefers the truth. Love prefers righteousness. Love does not condone wrongdoing. Love will not be happy when something wrong is being done.
– Love bears, believes, hopes and endures all things
To bear is to put up with something or someone unpleasant. To endure is to preserve under negative or unpleasant circumstances. To believe is to accept as true.to hope is to expect and to wish.
– Love never ends
Love is infinite. Love is always there. Love will always be there.
This is what love according to the bible must look like and be like. This is what is contained in love and this is what we need to strive to.