Love is a topic heavily emphasized in the Bible, and while many hear about what love is and how to love better, people rarely hear about what love is not.
The verse for this month comes from 1 Corinthians 13:4 which says, “Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” It is a perfect example of what love is not, inspiring us to love better.
To truly discover what love is, we must first establish what love is not. This verse perfectly describes what love is by explaining to the reader the exact opposite. This verse says that love is the opposite of envious, boastful and proud. Which means it is not jealous or arrogant.
When the director of Christian Life Greg Lisson was asked how this quote relates to our lives he said, “The theme this month is most applicable to our lives. We live in a world where we think more about what we don’t have than what we do have. We strive for the next best thing and when what we have is not enough, we get envious. As humans, we are boastful and proud, but that is exactly what love is not.”
The theme this month is different than any other themes. Lisson said, “It circles back to what love is in a different way. It doesn’t focus on all the gentle and sweet aspects of love, it challenges you to be what you should be by saying what you should not be.”
Senior Ashley Godwin spoke to the entire high school in chapel on Oct. 6, and she believes this verse can apply to the daily life of a Wesleyan student.
“We can realize that all of our needs have been met in Christ. Therefore, we don’t need to be selfish. We do need, however, to understand that others’ needs might not be met yet, said Godwin. “We need to show people, whose needs have not been met, the love that Christ showed us.”
Love has a much deeper meaning than we as humans could ever begin to comprehend. But the Bible gives us a unique perspective on love.
Love is not arrogant, prideful or self-seeking. It is really the exact opposite.
