UNITY CHRIST EVANGELICAL MINISTRY (UCEM)

LOVE

Part Eight

                                          Raphael Oye Taiwo 

Charity does not envy.

If you love a person, his achievement, quality or possession does not stir up envy in you but joy. You will mean it when you say, “Thank you God for helping my friend to achieve this great success” - unlike the envious who, when saying this aloud, will be crying inwardly that God has not helped him to achieve similar or better success.

When you love a person, you rejoice with him for the good things God has done for him and the good position into which God has put him, rather than wishing, in envy, that you were what he is or desiring to take his place.

Love is not grieved at the good of others. It does not feel unhappy or uncomfortable at the progress, success, good quality, possessions and honors of others.

Envy will cause you to rebel against God–appointed leaders. The insurrection led by Korah against Moses was motivated by envy.

Numbers 16:1-3

1. Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

So horrible was this sin before God that He afflicted these self-acclaimed holy men with the most horrible punishment. Korah and his group were swallowed up in the earth.     

Most of the rebellious acts in churches of God today, which cause so much trouble and split in the body of Christ, are instigated by envy, produced by pride.

“What has that Pastor got that I haven’t? I can preach on the pulpit just as he can, even better! I am as anointed as he is!”

“I am the reason why fifty percent of the people in this church are there today. Without me the church would be empty in no time. So, I deserve the greatest of position of authority in the church – not those humbugs they call leaders.”

Envy of the position, authority and calling of a leader will not allow some Christians to accord the leader the honor he deserves. They look for excuses to kick against him, comforting themselves with the thought that they are in the right.

We must not forget that it is quite possible to do holy things in envy.  ‘Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will’ Phil 1:15.

Tremendous evangelistic efforts can be motivated by envy. Huge money can be spent on big crusades out of envy. Church-growth and revival can be fervently sought by a church merely out of jealousy of, or a sense of competition with, some other churches.

So we must watch out the good things we are doing are not motivated by envy.      

Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up

This means love does not boast and it is not proud.

When you boast - that is, talk or speak proudly - to make people have a greater opinion of you than they have for some other people, or to make people justify you at the expense of some other people, you are revealing a heart devoid of God’s kind of love.

When your action lowers somebody else in the opinion of others, you are proud, betraying your lack of God–kind love.  

Genuine love is not bloated with self-conceit, does not swell because of his acquisitions and success. It does not arrogate to itself the credit, honor, power, or respect, which rightfully belongs to someone else. It is not insolent or arrogant. It is not ready to despise others, look down on other people, treat people with contempt or kick at other people.

In 1 Samuel 24:1-8, we see the example of a mighty man who walked in love and humility. David would not allow pride to stop him from honoring the man he saw as his leader, King Saul.

David had been anointed in place of Saul. He knew that Saul had been rejected as king by God. So, he had every excuse to stop regarding Saul as his God-given leader.

But David was not the proud type. He didn’t stop giving Saul the honor a king ought to be accorded.

1 Samuel 24:6

And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

David could have been excused if he had treated Saul shamefully since Saul had spared no effort to treat this faithful servant of his shamefully.

But not David! He was a man walking in love – not in pride.

1Samuel 24:8

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

If David were like many people of God today, he would have given Saul a piece of his mind – that is, if miraculously he had not slaughtered Saul:

“Is that you, Saul? You wicked, blood-thirsty fake king! When will you realize that God has rejected you and given your kingdom to me? You, a king! Ha, you are the limit!

“So, you want me to leave the world so you can continue to usurp my God-given throne? You impose on my credulity! You are pushing the limit of my patience! The best thing you can do now to save yourself from an ignoble end is to remove that crown you are wearing and give it to me on bended knees – now! Or I’ll come and take it - with your head!”

Pride destroys good things and allows good things to be destroyed, when such destruction can be prevented. Pride will go to any length to spite other people, to prevent other people from enjoying the good things they deserve, to cause other people to be disgraced, or to lower someone else in the estimation of other people.

Love One - SUPREMACY AND IMPORTANCE OF LOVE

Love Two - WHY WE MUST LOVE OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS
Love Three - WHAT THE PEOPLE OF GOD SHOULD DO CONCERNING LOVE
Love Four - MANIFESTATIONS OF LOVE

Love Five - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - One

Love Six - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Two

Love Seven - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Three

Love Eight - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Four

Love Nine - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Five

Love Ten - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Six