Love is not Proud

Love is not proud.

1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)

A horrified silence filled the room as my son sagged to the floor and started wailing, his arms and legs thrashing about like boughs in a storm. All eyes were on my little boy as he unleashed his angst in a full-blown meltdown. I wasn’t sure if it was pity or judgment in their gaze, or a bit of both. Either way, it was time to go.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I hoisted my kicking and flailing five-year-old onto my hip and fled from the room. Embarrassed and humiliated, I retreated to the safety of home where I could lick my wounded dignity and piece together the shattered remnants of my self-confidence.

Moments like these remind me of my own inadequacy as a parent. They batter away at my pride, eroding any presumption of self-sufficiency. Arrogance claims, “I can do this on my own.” Humility, on the other hand, recognizes my complete dependence on God. It shifts my focus away from self and draws me closer to the One who knows my son better than anyone else.

Love is not proud because true love isn’t motivated by selfish ambition. I can love each of my sons for who they are as individuals rather than what they accomplish. I love, not because they make me look good or because they boost my self-esteem. I love because the love God has poured into my soul is the love I lavish on my sons; pure, unconditional. To love not because they are worthy but because they are God’s special blessing. To love them with all their assets and foibles because Calvary’s love set the benchmark.