Verse 4:

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant

               Love is patient.

               Think about God's patience.  God is patient toward us because He does not desire that any should perish, but that all should come to salvation.  Think of how patient God was with the Israelites.  He led them out of Egypt and did not destroy them when they sinned.  Those who rebelled could not enter the Promised Land, but God was patient so those who would come to faith in Him and His promises over 40 years of wandering might be saved for eternity.  Moses was saved, though he could not enter the Promised Land.  We do not know how many others came to faith and were saved.  Think of the kings and the prophets.  God sent prophets to warn the people, and God delayed His punishments as long as He could for those who would repent.  God was patient with the people when He sent them into exile, and wanted them to repent in exile.   Think of the patience of Jesus.  Think of the patience of God with those who crucified Jesus.  Most of those who were saved escaped Jerusalem before the Romans destroyed the nation in 70 AD.  God's is patient because God is love.  When God's patience ceased to be a virtue, God had to send the punishment that He promised, but punishment was always a last resort, and punishment was always an expression of love for those who needed to see God's justice and who needed to be relieved from the injustice of those who had turned their back on God.  Think of Jesus' patience toward you.

               Love is kind.

               Think about God's kindness.  God did not need to feed the Jews in the wilderness with manna, but God did.  God did not need to send Jesus to save us from our sins, but He did.  Think of Jesus kindness toward sinners, toward children, toward His slow to learn disciples.  Think of Jesus' kind answers to Pilate.  Think of Jesus' kindness toward those who crucified Him.  Think of His kindness to Peter who denied Him.  Think of Jesus' kindness to you.

               Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant.

               Who would God envy?  Does God envy the devil, because the devil can sin and tempt people to sin?  Does God envy any human being, because he might be the President, a Rock Star, a Movie Actress, a General in the Army, the CEO of a corporation, or someone with a lot of buildings named after him?

               God does not envy anyone, because God is love and there is no one greater than God.  God does not want to sin or enjoy sin, because God is love.  God does not envy the sinner or anyone, no matter how great they are, because God always wants to do the most loving and wise things possible.

               Do you think God is boastful?  Does God boast?  No.  God tells us the truth about himself.  God has revealed truths about himself in and through His creation.  But, God has not done any of this boastfully.  When you read the Bible, do you see God boasting?  Sometimes God does defend His honor or the truth of His word when He is falsely accused, but God does not boast. 

            One who boasts makes certain that everyone around him knows what he thinks of himself or what he has done so people will more highly esteem him.  Albert Einstein said "God is subtle."  That is the opposite of boasting.  If God were to boast, there would be no atheists!  God is love; therefore, He does not boast.  Because God does not boast, some pay no attention to Him.

            Do you think God is arrogant?  As you read the Scriptures, do you see God doing anything because He is arrogant?  Was Jesus ever arrogant?  Did Jesus ever "lord it over" people or look down on people?  Would arrogance move God to have His only Son born in a stable and laid in a manger?  Wouldn't arrogance "have no time" for someone.  Yet, God invites everyone, even the worst of sinners to come to Him, repent of their sins, and place their trust in Him.  If God were arrogant, God would not be loving.  Arrogance pushes those people away that the arrogant person feels is a nuisance or beneath them.  All of God's creatures are truly beneath Him, but God does not treat them with arrogance because God is love.