Respect, an attribute that seems to be in short supply in today’s world. Evidently, it was also in the Corinthian church to whom Paul was writing this letter. The word “unseemly” is the opposite of respect. It means to act improperly or disgracefully in a way that deserves reprimanding. How often have I been in situations where respect was absent, words were said, and people were made to feel less than human because someone was disrespectful.
Everyone should be respected, not that they earn it, but because they are made in the image of God. None of us would be anything without God’s grace. Showing respect says more about the person rendering it than it does about the person they are respecting. When we love God, we love what He loves, and He loves people, all people!
I Corinthians 13:5 “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”
The second attribute mentioned in verse 5 deals with being unselfish. A person who loves this way is not thinking about what pleases themselves, or what they can get from the relationship, but rather how they can enhance the relationship. They are willing to yield to the desires of another, not seek their own way.
Third, inline in this verse is not being easily provoked. The commentator Albert Barnes explains it like this: “In Greek, it means that a man under the influence of love is not prone to have violent anger or exasperation. He looks seriously at things and even though he may be hurt, he is not hasty to react. He governs his passions and restrains his temper.” Why? Because he is under the influence of love.
Fourth, the person controlled by biblical love, love defined by God himself and demonstrated by God himself, thinks no evil. They do not desire anything bad to happen to the object of their love. They refuse to think bad about a person because of things they hear. They always seek the best in others. Gossip does not interest them, and they do not assume to know the motives of others’ actions. Even when things happen that appear to have evil intentions, they do not jump to conclusions without talking to the person they love. The word “thinketh” here is the Greek word that means to impute. To think no evil is to lay no charge or impute to a person any evil intentions. A person who loves this way will think well of the object of their love until they are forced to think differently by the most compelling evidence. They take the old “must see it to believe it” attitude.
When we love respectfully, we will think of others first. We will not seek our own way and push through until we get it. We will not be quick to fly off the handle and become angry. We will also want the best for others. When someone messes up, our attitude will be one of love, seeking to help them or restore them as Christ has done for us. One of the best verses to help us to think respectfully is also one of my favorites. Philippians 4:8 is a good one to meditate on today.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
