Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NKJV)
Love is not provoked or irritable (ESV). It takes a lot for love to lose its temper. Instead, love is calm.
As always, Jesus is our example. He didn’t get angry when people were honestly seeking the truth, and He showed great patience with the disciples’ questions. He listened and then answered with love and calmness. This is how we are to be, as James tells us (James 1:19)
While He had great patience with those honestly seeking answers, Jesus did get angry at times. Think of the times He cleared the temple of the sellers (John 2:14-17) or the times He called the scribes and Pharisees on the carpet (Matthew 23). Jesus got angry when those who were supposed to be caring for His people were not doing their job. He got angry when His kids were being mistreated. But even in anger, He never sinned.
I think this is important for us to remember. It’s OK to get angry when we see injustice; this makes God angry as well. But we must be careful about what we do when we are angry. Proverbs has a lot to say about the dangers of acting in anger. For example,
“An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.”
Proverbs 29:22, NKJV
Stirring up strife is the opposite of how love behaves.
So, I think that the lesson for me is to be in control of my emotions. It’s OK to get upset; it’s not OK to take it out on others in the heat of the moment. Instead, I must stay calm and not act hastily when others do things that make me angry. That’s how God has loved me and that’s how I should love others.
Think About: How have you experienced “love is not provoked” in your relationship with God?
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