The opening verses of 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 pierce our hearts like a scalpel, splaying them wide open, showing us something deep and dark about our own hearts. Both arrogance and rude behavior are symptoms of a heart that is disconnected to a loving and all-powerful God. Is it ignorance or sheer willfulness on our part, that seeks to be and act like something we were never intended to be? The scriptures teach us that when we persist in a life that departs from God’s plan for us, we will find strife and discord. The Apostle Paul shows us that love is the opposite of arrogance and rudeness. It is humble and gracious, like the love most beautifully exhibited by the Lord Jesus Christ. Love that is humble and gracious reveals a heart that is closely aligned with the Spirit, able to receive the fullness of God – grace upon grace[1].
Arrogance grasps for recognition and self-importance. An arrogant person seeks to puff himself up, inflating his importance to others. The attitude is self-oriented, therefore not God-oriented. It is self-centered, disparaging the importance of others and God. It is the antithesis of the outpouring, expressive, generous love of God.
An arrogant attitude, in its need to inflate, shows it does not understand the soul’s worth before God, or the magnitude of what Christ has done. God crowned humankind with honor and dominion and power[2] such that it is unnecessary to grasp at it, hoard it, or flaunt it ourselves. We are innately important by the imprint of God upon us. God so endowed his creation that He provided for every spiritual blessing through his Son, Jesus Christ[3]. The God of all creation so esteemed us that He condescended to come, make his home with us and in us. His sacrifice assures our worth in his eyes. And yet, we still feel the need to acquire knowledge or experiences or accomplishments, proving we are “something”. We are important, we cry, as if there is any question. And maybe we believe our own press so much, we might wonder if we are something truly special by our own doing – apart from God! Of course, the real “Something,” the real person of import, is the God who gave us the capacity to think, interact and achieve and the arena to do it in, in the first place. Our arrogance shows we do not understand who we are before God or what he has done. How this must grieve him!
Rude or unseemly behavior also shows a disconnect with the life God designed for us to live. The Greek word, aschémón means, literally, “without proper shape or form”. When we do not understand our place before God – our exalted position in creation, our beloved status as his children, and also our humble dependence upon the God who made us, we cannot understand the proper form for our lives. When we do not understand the character of the Spirit, in whose image we are made, we are amorphous – without shape. God designed us to reflect and exhibit his image in the world around us. Our character and behavior are to align with his. Whenever we act or behave in a way incongruous with the Spirit, we are being rude. If our actions and words do not reflect the generosity, kindness and graciousness of the Lord, we are rudely, crudely moving outside the safe boundaries designed for us. Love is not rude – love is gracious, in complete decorum with the Spirit.
If love is not arrogant or rude, then it is humble and gracious. Jesus modeled the selfless love – never needing to puff himself up – because of his complete understanding of his status with God. Knowing the fullness and unending measure of God’s love, he could pour himself out rather than build himself up. He is the perfect example of humility. So united in Spirit to his Father, he perfectly reflected the Father’s gracious, generous love, never stepping outside the boundaries of the Spirit. As we mimic the love of Jesus, as demonstrated in these verses, we can reestablish the beautiful order and symmetry of our intended life with God.
Lord Jesus,
I pray that you give me a better understanding of my worth and value in your eyes.
If I am to grow in knowledge, let it be of your immeasurable love for me.
Help me to empty my mind and heart of vain or conceited ideas that have nothing to do with your
greatness and goodness. May your Presence in me be so full in me that it pours over, naturally, emptying Yourself out, blessing others.
Let all my thoughts, words, actions reflect the fullness of your Presence in my life.
Let my life be grace upon grace for someone else.
Humbly I ask you, in Your Name.
Amen