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Vladimir Putin has boasted that Russia is planning to build a base on the moon. Astronauts will live there permanently. When the astronauts  were asked if they really wanted to spend the rest of their lives in a barren, lifeless, empty landscape, the Russians said, “No. That’s why we want to go to the moon.”

I know, it’s a lame joke. Have you heard this one? An American and a Russian were talking in a bar. The American began to boast about his country, claiming it’s the land of the free. He said, “I could walk straight up to the White House and shout ‘Death to the American President’ and nothing happens to me.” The Russian smirked and said, “I too can walk up to the Kremlin and shout ‘Death to the American President’, nothing bad happens to me either.”*

Ok, I hope you enjoyed those. We often tell jokes about boastful people. But when we meet a proud braggard, most of us don’t laugh and enjoy it. Do we? We consider proud, boastful people to be arrogant. Maybe we instinctively know that people who boast aren’t concerned about us.

I Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud.” (NVI) The love described is unselfish. That’s why boasting is incompatible with it. Boasting promotes self. Whether the source of boasting is insecurity or arrogance doesn’t matter. Boasting focuses on self above others. It is the opposite of love.

*”Boast Jokes,” Upjoke, https://upjoke.com/boast-jokes

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

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Near midnight on December 30, 2012, Naomi Oni was walking to her home in Dagenham, east London after leaving work. A woman wearing a veil followed her. Before Naomi reached her home, the woman in the veil caught up and threw acid into Naomi’s face. The acid burned her face, chest and hands, causing the loss of hair and eyelashes. Skin grafts were needed to repair the damage. She will carry the scars the rest of her life. Police later arrested Mary Konye, who had been Naomi’s friend since secondary school. Konye was tried and convicted in 2014. After the jury rendered the verdict, DCI David Whellams, who investigated the crime, said, “Konye was almost obsessively jealous of the victim’s good looks and, after a previous argument between them, hatched an almost unbelievable plan to attack her with acid.”*

Such is the destructive power of envy. When we envy another person, we violate love. Our desire for what they have poisons our attitude. We cheer at their misfortune, or, as in the case of Mary Konye, seek to injure them. I Corinthians 13:4 says “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (NIV) Note that love is described by positive traits, such as patience. But it is also described by examining traits that are the opposite. Today, to build your love for others, root out any envy poisoning your heart.

*”Mary Konye guilty of acid attack on friend Naomi Oni,” BBC News Services, January 23, 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-25867695.

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

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What is love? If you search the internet for answers to that question you’ll find all kinds of thoughts. Some silly, some profound, some not worth repeating.

This week the podcast is focused on the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Listen to verses 4 and 5, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (NIV) Notice that the passage contains positive descriptions, like “love is patient.” It also includes negative descriptions – in other words things which are not love. This week we’re looking at the positive descriptions. Today, we’re looking at “love is kind.”

The word kind indicates something that is pleasant. It doesn’t rub people the wrong way. It is generous. If you want an example of kindness, you might look at the Southwest Church of Christ in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Recently they held a community service event. Church members made and delivered over 100 meals to shut-ins and the homeless. They built a wheelchair ramp, cleaned up trash, made stuffed toys for children at the hospital – all while giving away gift cards for groceries and gas. 30 different service projects were completed.* That sounds like kindness to me.

Our challenge today is to focus on being kind to others. Be pleasant, be generous, for this is love.

*Diana Davis, “Jonesboro church spreads kindness across the community,” Jonesboro KAIT, October 10, 2022, MSN, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/jonesboro-church-spreads-kindness-across-the-community/ar-AA12NhXE

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

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When you think about patient people, who comes to mind? I know many mothers who are patient. They lovingly tend their baby or small child. Nurses and CNAs are patient too. They often care for people who feel ill and cantankerous.

When I think of patient people, I also think of the paraprofessional staff at elementary schools. Paras must have great patience to do their job. They deal with one or more children having special physical or emotional needs. They may assist the child in the bathroom, help with wheel chairs or other devices,  assist in the classroom and help the child socially – all while documenting the day’s activities. Paras support the child all day, every school day. I’ve know paras who’ve been punched, slapped and kicked. They can’t retaliate or lash out in frustration. Their job is to support the child in spite of trying behavior. This is the type of patience you might call “long suffering.”

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul describes true love. No, not the romantic idea of love. But the type of love God has for us and that his Spirit produces in us. Listen to I Corinthians 13:4, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (NIV) The very first description of love is patience. It is the ability to put up with people, even when they try our nerves. Today, show love by being patient.

How to leave a review: https://www.sparkingfaith.com/rate-and-review/

Visit Elmer Fuller’s author website at: https://www.elmerfuller.com/

Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.