4 - Love Does Not Boast
With love there is an empathy and awareness for others that is freed from
the need for self-promotion. Where there is boasting others are unable to
see or experience love.
While declaring the attributes, experiences, accomplishments,
acquirements of self there is no ability to remove this self focus long
enough to care about what someone else is experiencing.
Love is the freedom from self and its need to be appreciated by others.
The most valuable things to us have been given and established by
God and have nothing to do with the temporal and less valuable things
that could be attributed to self.
With the removal of self-focus, a place is made for love to be
expressed.
Application:
Prayer – “Father, I pray that the most valued treasures of my heart would
be those things that have been given to me in Christ. Free me from the
need to boast about the minimal and temporary things about myself that
would keep me from empathizing with what others are going through.
Intentional action: Before and while engaging in conversation allow
interest in the other person to be greater than attempting to expose
something impressive in you.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to redirect focus from self to empathize with
others, their interests, and their needs. In prayer yield to this
