Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love does not act unbecomingly.
Unbecomingly. Not a word we use in our daily vocabulary, I’d wager. There’s a nice old-fashioned ring to it, so I had to check out old Webster. Unbecoming means to behave in a way “not according with the standards appropriate to one's position or condition of life.”
Both the New Living Translation and the Contemporary English Bible use the word “rude.”
We as Christians (which is our "position or condition of life, by the way) should never be rude. And that can mean a couple of things. Rudeness connotes treating others in an “offensive manner.” It also can mean being “vulgar” in speech and action.
Think about how you interact with other people. Do you enjoy telling off-color jokes or using the latest profanity? Do you delight in pointing out the failings in others?
Or do you walk away when others gossip or put people down? Do you avoid using words that are offensive?
I picture Jesus sitting with a group of society’s disreputable. I picture His loving them and showing them kindness. But I do not picture Him laughing at their infirmities or failures. I do not picture Him peppering His speech with vulgarities.
And as we’ve talked about since we started looking at the attributes of love, we need to strive to love as He did.
Today, watch what you say and do. And love as Christ loves.
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