1 Corinthians 13:5a (Love) Doth not behave itself unseemly

Now we are looking at behavior. But what is unseemly as a behavior? I would guess that would cover a wide array of behaviors. I was looking into other translations and found words like rude, haughty, selfish, dishonorable, improper, disrespectful, conceited, arrogant, ill-mannered, and even ambitious. With such a wide variety of behaviors how can we pin down unseemly to a common and acceptable word?

2 Corinthians 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

If we were to take a negative and turn it to a positive, then perhaps 1 Corinthians 13:5a could be read like this: Love is always gracious.

Are we always graceful? I trip from time to time. In this I am reminded of Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

Note that judgment is subject of this verse but nowhere in 1 Corinthians 13 does a verse exist that says “Love does not judge.” Perhaps that is because love judges our own thoughts and behaviors in order to render our behavior to be holy in His sight.

1 John 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.