Characteristics of Love: Love is Not Irritable
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:5(NLT) or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
1 Corinthians 13:5(AMP) It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
Introduction: Glory be to God for opportunity to see another week of Speaking Scriptures.
🙏 May we continue to thirst for His words with sincerity and great desire to be doers in Jesus name.
Looking at characteristics of God’s kind of Love, the sixth is: Love is Not Irritable.
▶️ To be irritable is to get easily annoyed or provoked. Amplified Bible describes irritable as touchy, fretful or resentful.
❓Have you found yourself in a situation where your spouse ask a question and your reply comes with irritability? In that state, the answer portrays anger and resentment.
🛑 If we sincerely search our hearts, irritable answers come from deep seated anger due to; previous offence, presumption on what you think your spouse has in mind, using previous incidence to judge, what is seen or heard that is yet to be discussed, and other things that propel anger.
More often than not, irritability which is an act of exhibiting anger easily, being touchy or resentful makes us to act foolishly or say impolite words. Love is Not Irritable.
🛑 Anger makes us to act foolishly.
Proverbs 14:17a He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:
Proverbs 14:17a(NLT) Short-tempered people do foolish things,
When there is deep seated anger inside anyone, if the offender ask for favour, irritable answer will make the person with deep seated anger to behave foolishly like Nabal
1 Samuel 25:5-10 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
Nabal was resentful against David, he judged him for running away from Saul and refused to give despite what David and his men did to protect his sheep and also replied David irritably; Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
Hear how Abigail, Nabal’s wife described him;
1 Samuel 25:23-25 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be : and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
Inability to forgive and overlook wrong doing of people, especially those we claim to love, brings about irritable response and propels insensible actions.
Proverbs 19:11(NLT) Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
Physical abuse among couples emanates from uncontrolled anger with foolish actions and words that can scatter homes.
Ecclesiastes 7:9(NLT) Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
There is danger in being irritable, easily provoked or touchy as abusive words and curses will naturally proceed from the mouth of the one being irritated. There will be danger of living in hell fire as Jesus taught His Disciples.
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Love is Not irritable. Let us display self-control towards our spouses to have victory over marital squabbles.
Proverbs 16:32(NLT) Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
✍ Finally brethren, let us be slow to speak and control our anger. Do not nurse hurts which naturally brings irritable answers and responses.
James 1:19(NLT) Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
Inability to control human nature can cause rejection into the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
❓ What practical steps are we to take as we walk in love this week?
Choose to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list of any wrong motivations causing irritable reaction that you need to release from your life.
Let us forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us.
✋ Maranatha
