Do we glorify God or self? He who steals God’s glory is a thief.

Was that too harsh?

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

If it made you angry, ask yourself why?

1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The abiding love of God in our hearts will turn away wrath because anger cannot abide in a heart that belongs to God. That doesn’t stop the mind from forming resentments. The heart that belongs to God has been forgiven all things, the mind still remembers and is capable of resentment on its own.

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Paul of Tarsus often compared the Christian life to athletic analogies. Consider his “fight the fight,” or “run with patience,” or “wrestle not with flesh and blood” statements. His writings are peppered with references to the Greek games. It’s beneficial for the Bible student to understand this context. Ref. Dr. Mike Lester

Matthew 11:16-19 English Standard Version

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Jesus had that generation to contest with, we have ours today. The difference in us is not one of the mind but of the heart which now belongs to God. Context is everything because we are living in a world that brings about a new set of circumstances born of the old adversary.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Psalm 55:12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him.

I am your brother in Christ, do not hide your face from me. I am not the enemy.

1 Corinthians 13 ESV (with 1 word added, Agape)

The Way of Love

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not Agape love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not Agape love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not Agape love, I gain nothing.

Before we see how Agape love behaves we should look at how any other kind of love acts because all forms of love have a driving force. Eros certainly does. So does Philio and most definitely Storage does.

If you are not familiar with Storage, it is the love that we share with family members and it can exist even within the family of God without being Agape. 

Gifts are given. One of those is the gift of tongues but if it is used to glorify self rather than God it is eros, selfish. The same goes for the other gifts; prophetic, discernment, knowledge and even faith itself. Faith that is given that does not begin with hearing God, believing God and obeying God is faith in self, not faith in God.

Verse 3 is the most telling of all the attributes of any kind of love that is not agape. Charity is the original definition used in the oldest translations of the bible. Charity can exist without being driven by the love of God. Charities exist all around us that are not faith based. They will even question your faith in order to get your money. If it is a true charity then why do the CEO’s make millions running them? Why are so much of the money being funneled to corrupt influencers?

Agape Love is patient and kind; Agape Love does not envy or boast; Agape Love  is not arrogant or rude. Agape love does not insist on its own way; Agape Love  is not irritable or resentful; Agape Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Agape Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I have added the word Agape in the dialogue to remind us that if God does not dwell in our hearts by faith and direct all acts of love, then we have gained nothing for His Kingdom and His glory. The motivation of the heart is the telltale sign for the actions we take, either with God or without Him.

Do we glorify God or self? He who steals God’s glory is a thief.