Growing in LoveSample

A Growing Love Is Humble

Do you enjoy learning new skills? I’ve been taking daily Spanish lessons from my phone for more than two years now. It’s been muy divertido (very fun)! 

I like growing in knowledge and understanding about practically anything. In fact, being ignorant about something frightens me a little. Maybe it’s because it makes me feel vulnerable, ignorant, or insignificant, whereas knowledge gives me a feeling of self-confidence and control.  

And now it’s time for me to confess something quite ugly to you. I’m a recovering know-it-all, and I love to be right. If you can relate, I hope this devotional blesses and helps you!

Here’s the thing: Learning is good. We especially need to grow in our knowledge of God’s Word! But there are some problems with knowledge, which we’ll see in today’s Scriptures. 

In fact, I encourage you to spend a little extra time lingering over today’s passages. 

As you do, consider these two big problems with knowledge: 

1. We can too easily depend on knowledge instead of God. 
2. We can become proud and defensive of our knowledge.

This desire for knowledge and to be right creates a huge temptation to look down on others who think or act differently than you. And exalting knowledge will isolate you from those who lack your viewpoints. 

Where exactly is love or the opportunity to effectively share the gospel in any of this? If that question stings a little, know that I’m learning this with you! 

Ultimately, pride and love do not coexist. 

To love like Jesus—who, as God, knew everything and yet emptied Himself of His status in order to serve, teach, and rescue humanity—we will need to walk in His humility. 

And to do this, we must lose all pride. 

Loving humbly like Jesus means saturating any knowledge we have with God’s wisdom and discernment. Only then will we be able to compassionately engage with people, ask them questions, and value them right where they are—in their joy or pain, and in their sin or ignorance. That’s what Jesus did. 

We must become H.I.P. with people: Humble. Interested. Present. Because truly loving people requires seeing them and listening well, not just informing them.

Every day, the choice is ours. We can live from self-righteous knowledge, or we can live from Christ’s humble, gracious truth and life-saving love. 

As 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us, we see only in part, but God sees the whole picture. So let’s trust His way of humble love. 

Pray: Pause and seek the Father. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to any secret pride. Ask Him to convict you each time pride creeps up. Ask for God’s love to become the most evident thing about your life.