Remember, agape is not just a feeling, it always acts.  The question is how does it act?  We have said that it always acts in the best interest of others, but what does that look like specifically?  Paul tells us.

1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)
⁴  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant… 

Love is patient.  The word patient here is a compound of the Greek words Makros, meaning, “long in distant or time,” and Thymos, meaning, “indignation or wrath.”  This second word has to do with having an outburst of anger.  To be patient, then, is to have one’s emotions under control so that outbursts of wrath and indignation do not occur.  It is to have a long temper.  This is a characteristic of God (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalms 86:15).  If we have true love, that is how we will act, not only in regard to objects but, more importantly, regarding people.

Love is kind.  To be kind is to be gentle and nice.  Jesus used a form of this word in Luke 5:39 to describe old wine which is not sharp or biting, but instead has a mellow character to it.  This is a good way of thinking of kindness.  Those who are kind do not have a sharp tongue or a biting, harsh personality.  It should be noted, that though, kindness is an action word.  It describes, not just how one talks to others but how one acts.  We need to take the time to be kind (Proverbs 19:22; 1 John 3:17).

Love does not envy.  Envy is the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the prosperity of others.  It is a devilish characteristic.

James 3:14-15 (NKJV)
¹⁴  But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵  This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

Envy raised its ugly head very early in the history of mankind, and most of us remember the result of it (Genesis 4:4-8).  Anything powerful enough to cause one to murder his own brother is certainly a devilish characteristic.  Love does not act like that.

Love is not boastful.  The person who loves others does not spend a lot of time bragging about himself because he is not self-centered, which is the root of being boastful.  We talk about what is on our minds.  If a person thinks about himself more than anyone or anything else, he is probably going to talk about himself more than anything else as well.  The one who loves as he should does not make a habit of bragging because he considers others more significant than himself, and thinks about their interests, not just his own  (Philippians 2:2-3).

Finally, love is not arrogant.  Arrogance is the mentality that produces bragging in the first place.  It is an inflated concept of one’s own importance.  We have all been around such people.  They are those who cannot wait to reveal how much they know or how much they have done.  Again, that is not how love behaves (Galatians 6:3; Luke 14:7-11).  The true Christian, who loves the way he should, is poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), not egotistical.

How do we behave?  Are we kind and patient, or envious, boastful, and arrogant?  Our answer will tell us whether we possess the proper kind of love or not.              

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.