24th April 2021
LOVE DETERMINANTS
David Abankwah
(SERIES: Day 4)
…..charity vaunteth not itself…..
-1 Corinthians 13:4 | KJV
Vaunt is an old word which is synonymous to brag, boast, gasconade, blow or vapour. It simply means: making a vainglorious display of what one is, has, or has done; or a bragging assertive statement, that is made of one’s own worth or attainments. Vaunting is commonly experienced when a guy approaches a lady he likes. You see him saying all sorts of things just to catch her attention. He can say he is this and he can also say he is that. He stays here, and he has this or that. He can say he has been to this place before and all sorts of things but in reality, he is not who he is and he has never been to where he claims he had been. Well, many women wants guys who can vaunt well.
One day, as I was walking down a certain path, I saw a guy busily vaunting before a lady seriously. I knew this poor girl was in trouble. I knew she would be trapped by the net of vaunting. You will discover often times that many who claim they love you, make certain promises that they are unable to fulfil and vaunts that are all fallacies as time passes by. Vaunters often have the mindset of deceit that’s why they act the way they do. Vaunting about things you even have, can lead you into the sin of lies and how much is the vaunting of things you don’t even have? You can talk drift into things you don’t even have or what you have not even done before just to make an impression.
Vaunting about things you have can encourage or inspire someone. But the problem is, vaunters are often pretenders. They tell you this but they mean the other. They tell you they have this, but in reality, they are not having it. Braggers are liars and there is no pretence in love. When you love, you can’t lie. Because Jesus Christ was the perfect embodiment of God’s love, He didn’t vaunt. Look at the power, dominion, authority, beauty, splendour, might and glory He had, yet, He didn’t show off who He was and what He had (Philippians 2:6-8). If we were to have just 10% of what Jesus Christ had, then everyone in Israel would have known we were the Messiah and not just sons of men!
Even when Jesus Christ was casting devils and the evil spirits wanted to reveal who He was, He quickly told them to shut up. Because of love, He took upon Himself the form of a servant. No matter who you are or what you have, love will make you serve others. Love will make you so humble. Love will break your status, position, achievements, ego, and press you down to be a nobody. Many well-to-do people don’t vaunt because they know there are more to do than what they have or where they are. But many of those who don’t have much, are those who vaunt a lot. Emptiness makes the most noise. The more you become somebody, the more love will make you become a nobody.
•| Prayer Diary |•
¹Lift up prayers for deliverance from making a vain display of your own worth. ²Lift up prayers for deliverance from the habit of making a vain display of your attainments. ³Lift up prayers for the awareness of seeing all carnal things as unprofitable so you will not rely on them and lose your salvation. ⁴Lift up prayers to see God as the main Helper behind your success and not by your own making. ⁵Lift up prayers for the character of giving God thanks for the things He had helped you achieve in life and ministry. ⁶Lift up prayers to see the need to boast about the Lord who has called you according to His purpose in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
“Everything you have was given to you by someone. Therefore, you have no reason to brag about anything”
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
2 Kings Chapters 17-18
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© 2021 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 