Who Wrote Your Dictionary? - Part 3

A few years later, the apostle Paul took a page out of Jesus' dictionary and went into more detail about how love is defined:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 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 love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1Co 13:1-3

Before he began explaining what love is, he talked about how important it is for us to have it. Love is the difference between being worth listening to and being background noise. Love is the difference between a being a beneficial and prosperous soul and being a nothing. Love makes the difference between our efforts being a benefit or a waste. He goes on to be specific in defining what live is like.

1Co 13:4 Love:

● love is patient - instead of having a short fuse, to be long spirited, long-suffering.
● love is kind - to show oneself useful, that is, act benevolently (like your mama said “why don't you make yourself useful!”)
● love does not envy – not motivated by jealously or wanting what doesn't belong to you
● love does not boast – not to be a braggart
● love is not arrogant – not inflated, proud, puffed up.

1Co 13:5

● love is not rude - not to be (that is, act) unbecoming: - behave self uncomely (unseemly).
● love does not insist on its own way
● love is not irritable – like a sharp jab in the side, that is, to exasperate: - not easily provoked
● love is not resentful – not keeping score, taking an inventory or keeping account of wrongs

1Co 13:6

● love does not rejoice at wrongdoing – not happy with injustice or unrighteousness
● love rejoices with the truth - sympathizes in gladness, congratulates truth


1Co 13:7 In all things - whatsoever, whosoever – everything that goes on in our lives:

● love bears - to roof over, that is, to cover with silence (to keep a lid on it)
● love believes - to have faith, to trust
● love hopes - to expect or confide
● love endures - to stay under (behind), persevere

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 1Co 13:8-11

Love is a characteristic of maturity, not of childishness.

Once again, the question for us, then, is “Who wrote your (my, our) dictionary?” Like we talked about in Part 1, definitions are descriptions of something.

If someone was asked to describe what your life was about, to sum up your life in a word or two, what would they say? What would they say is the love of your life? Is your life defined in terms of athletics? hunting? fishing? food? music? hobbies? sex? money? your work? Jesus?

Whatever or whoever defines your life is – in a practical sense – your God.

Paul talked sadly about ones he knew who let something other than Jesus define them.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. Phi 3:17-19

They let their own appetites define and control their lives. Don't let this be your life. Let the God who alone has the right to define you – truly be the definer of your whole life.