Love isn’t rude

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; - 1 Corinthians 13.5

This love test is pretty tough. Most Christians know this passage a little bit, we may even have memorised part or all of it. But I don't think we examine it often enough. So what else does love do? What else doesn't it do?

I really like this first little phrase. The King James said 'Love does not heave itself unseemly' which is a brilliant way ot put it, but I like the way it is worded in the NKJV, 'love does not behave rudely.' The word means unattractively and there is nothing more unattractive than rudeness.

It's funny. I had never connected love with rudeness in a Biblical sense. But when you think about it it really is a vital aspect of love.

I guess part of the problem is that we can take people for granted when we have been close them for a long time. We get used to them. When we get to the point where we take anyone for granted it is easy to be rude, because we forget that our rudeness has an impact. We forget that rudeness hurts. So true love isn't rude. It thinks about the other person. It sees their feelings as important.

I think this is a particular problem in marriage. After 15, 20, 30 years it is easy to get so used to our husband or wife that rudeness can creep it. We may never be rude to others, but because our spouse is near and we 'can't lose them' we get to be short and uncaring, and yes, rude to them. That is not love, because love is never rude.

Love doesn’t have to have its own way. It thinks about others.

Love is not easily provoked into a fight. We could certainly stop here and look at this one as well.

Love doesn’t think evil. Love chooses to think the best.