LOVE DOES NOT AND IS NOT . . .
It does not envyG2206, it does not boastG4068, it is not proudG5448.
1 Corinthians 13:4b (BSB)
G2206 ζηλόω zēlóō – to envy, be moved with envy (Acts 7:9; 1 Cor. 13:4; James 4:2)
The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, Ed.
envy (verb) – desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to (someone else).
The Oxford Dictionary
Love prefers the other person rather than craving what he or she has. Love does not need to have everything the other person has to feel fulfilled. On the contrary, love desires the highest and best for the person that is loved. I must ask myself do I put others above myself? Do I crave something or some trait of another person to the point of disliking him or her because they possess something I do not? Envy can lead to hate, the opposite of love and godliness because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Do I recognize envy as sin and ask the Lord to cleanse me?
G4068 περπερεύομαι perpereúomai – braggart, to brag or boast
The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, Ed
Love (remember to substitute your own name) does not brag or boast. Am I always expounding on my accomplishments, or do I enjoy celebrating the accomplishments of others? Paul cautions us elsewhere, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,” (Romans 12:3b). God has given each of us gifts not that we should think ourselves better than others but to be used for the betterment of others. We are to humbly use the gifts we have been given to serve the Lord by serving others.
G5448 φυσιόω phusióō – to breath, blow, inflate. To inflate, blow or puff up. In the NT spoken only figuratively of pride or self-conceit.
The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, Ed.
If I am puffed up with pride and completely self-centered, how can I possibly show love to my neighbor? The Christ-like love spoken of here, agapáō, is a self-sacrificing love. It is a love that denies oneself to follow Christ and to bless others. Love is not proud. Now put your name in the place of “Love,” as in, Susan is not proud. Is the statement true of you?
Father, help us not to be envious, boastful, or proud. Help us instead to be contented and humble. Help us to remember what Paul taught Timothy, “. . . godliness with contentment is great gain,” and live accordingly.