Love Builds Up

1 Corinthians 8:1b (NIV) says: Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

The same verse in the NASB version says: Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
The Amplified version says: knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature].

Have you thought about this? The more you know, do you get more and more proud, more and more assertive about your area of knowledge, less and less patient with those with less knowledge? I can look back and see instances where I have done each of those things. Not very Christ-like, is it?

The passage is a good visual image. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up". Picture someone puffing up when they know something you don't. Think about that a minute. What are they puffed up with?.......air. Knowledge is only as helpful as the person using it. If their knowledge is used for beating someone down, or making themselves seem more important, knowledge is only hot air. If you read the past post on the Belt of Truth, you know that knowledge of God's Word is a very important piece of God's armor. So I am not saying that knowledge is a waste. I am saying that wrong use, wrong time, wrong motives behind the knowledge can be nothing more than hot air.

Now, picture someone growing or being encouraged when shown love. "..love builds up". When a child draws a picture and hands it to an adult, the child beams if the adult shows love for the child by praising the artwork. When someone is congratulated for doing something, they are built up and encouraged to do more.

So use knowledge wisely... to build up, not puff up.

Father, Help me to build up others with love. Amen

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