1 Corinthians 13:4, Charity is Not Puffed Up
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.
To be puffed up is to be filled with pride and self-conceit, a haughty spirit, lacking in humility and graciousness. It describes an inflated ego and a superiority complex. It is a prideful contempt of others and an air of self-importance that puts down others to elevate oneself. The character of God’s love is without such self-exaltation or arrogance. In fact, lowliness rather characterizes God’s love. Charity is not puffed up. The Bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
It is a disposition that gives way to others. It is observable that the greatest men have always been humble. You first and I follow. It is a mindset that esteemed others better than themselves. There is not an air of presumptuous superiority, a character trait befitting of a creature rather than Creator. A sober assessment of the redeemed man is to know his position as a sinner saved by grace. There is nothing he can boast about himself because he has a proper perspective of his depravity and a holy reverence for his God. The fear of God rules in such a heart so that he has no occasion to feel any good in himself but is brought low in humbleness before his God.
This is a man that has met with God as the prophet Isaiah did. Isaiah said, “Woe is me, for I am undone, I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips”. It is a correct assessment of his fallen estate. He knew that he could not cleanse himself. It was God who cleansed his unclean lips when a coal is brought to touch his lips to purge his sins. There is no righteousness that he could boast of. His righteousness was given to him by the mercy of God. Hence, we will notice that a true Christian who possesses God’s love is not puffed up. He knows his place, he is no better than his neighbour because he is in need of God’s mercy daily as he wrestles with his own corruptness, in this mortal fleshly body. Amen.