Love is not Inflated

I must admit, at first, I was at a loss when I came to this verse. When I think of the word inflated, I think of tires or pool inner tubes, not love. At a second glance, though, I think I missed the mark on the author’s intent. What he means is that love is not conceited. Love cannot reside in a heart with an excessively high opinion of itself. As we have already seen, love calls us to sacrifice our comfort and desires for the sake of others. A conceited heart knows little of giving freely to others without expectation of gain for itself. 

True love calls for us to have a humble heart that knows that all of mankind is made in the image and likeness of God, deserving of respect, care, and charity. A humble heart sees that the ugliness of mankind is due to sin and can only be healed through Christ-like love and a turning away from selfishness. This is a hard one to truly cultivate, but Christ called all of us to “deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him” (Matt. 16:24). 

ACTION STEP: This week, take a hard look at the ways you think of yourself before others, especially your spouse. Seek this week to put them first without the expectation of anything in return.