Love Is Not Arrogant
Love is not arrogant. If you’ve spent any time around Christians, we are a hardheaded bunch, but it is because we are generally a bit arrogant. We love Jesus, therefore our love (all of our loves and pursuits) are blessed by the Lord on high. I am no different as I had to look back at last week’s post to see if I hadn’t covered this topic already. Even then, it feels like we did. My reaction to this assertion about love is the same and I see little need to talk about this, but the revelation is also much the same. I am the victim of a fallen love in this aspect as well.
My love is better. If you’ve been reading along, I hope you will have noticed it’s easy to think our love or our ability to love greater at least than average. With respect to arrogance, I have found myself thinking that I was able to love in a way that exceeded that of the common guy. I thought that the trajectory, how I was directing my love, was superior to average Joe, but I never uttered a word of this to anyone. Friends, these are both arrogance. Yes, filthy, stinking arrogance creeping in and rotting an otherwise young and healthy love. On your own, friends, your love is not strong enough to withstand this malady. You will end up with a vegetable for a love, capable of little, pathetic.
Change the world. This is what we ultimately want from our love, correct? This isn’t possible with a love full of the arrogance virus. Yes, a virus, and when it creeps in, our love cannot grow or mature as we become delusional, thinking our love is purer or stronger or you fill in the blank. I think we can all agree that as a result of being flawed and human (pardon the redundancy), we are all in need of growth and constantly. This is no different for our love. History is chock full of people whose love was sickened by arrogance and the world was changed, but only in the form of death and destruction.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” — James 1:5
We have to find it. I mean, we don’t, but if we’re interested in being healthy, loving individuals we have no choice. It is the only way forward, but we are not alone. You may have picked up on it earlier, but not being alone is crucial as we cannot overcome this alone, nor are we expected to. In what way are you struggling with arrogance here? Are you frustrated, exasperated, hopeless? How is your prayer life? Often this is the first to go. If the problem does not lie here, do you expect an answer from the Father? Do you expect none? Or do you expect it here and now? Friend, God is willing to help the humble, but He helps those who’ve entrusted Him with their faith and only in His time.
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We’re all in this together, trying to love the best we can, fighting off arrogance. Our love isn’t better, bigger, purer, stronger; no, our love is ordinary. It is sick and in danger, but our Savior is great. God is more than able and to top it off, He is more than willing. We are neither alone, nor are we without hope. However, it will take time. Each day, we are faced with the choice and each day we must choose humility telling ourselves that love is not arrogant.