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 brag.
True love is never about me. True love is my looking out for others, caring for others, supporting others.
If I truly love someone, I shouldn’t be thinking about myself and what I can do. And if my thoughts aren’t on me, then I won‘t be bragging on my accomplishments. In fact, I really won’t care about what I do that’s “newsworthy.” I’ll be content to stay in the background. And when I do have the opportunity to be in the limelight, I won’t go around telling everyone.
This can be tough. Sometimes, we get excited about a God-given chance to shine. Not long ago, I had the privilege to play Marmee in a musical version of Little Women—one of my favorite books from childhood. I was excited—I wanted everyone to know. In retrospect, I walked a very, very fine line between bragging and just wanting people to come out to see a talented cast of storytellers.
Next week, I start rehearsals for The Story of Ruth, and this time, I’m privileged to be in the chorus. The question is, will I “publicize” it in the same way? Will I brag on the principal actors and be just as excited to have people come see the show when I’m not a lead?
Absolutely! Because, when I love others, I want to boast about them.
What about you? Are you boasting in your own accomplishments? Are you telling everyone how wonderful you are? Or are you content to stand back and let others shine? And tell everyone how wonderful they are?
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