QUALITIES OF LOVE
Cualidades de Amor
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Thursday, January 31, 2019
As a young girl growing up in a poor family, I imagined that having lots of money would improve our lives, much as this little girl probably does. [Photographer: Cole Silvers. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
As a young girl growing up in a poor family, I thought having lots of money would improve our lives. My perspective changed when a lady at our church began chatting with my mother while I stood nearby. The lady wasn't attractive, but she made the most of her looks and dressed well. Until that day, we hadn't known her well except to know that she was married and had an adolescent son. As the lady conversed with my mother, she mentioned that her father had made a lot of money so that she had gone to good schools, taken music lessons, attended all the correct social events, and had all the advantages that wealth could bring.
After meeting a woman from a wealthy family, I learned that having wealth doesn't necessarily make life better. [Photographer: William Kedersha. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
Then she said something I will never forget: "When you come from a wealthy family, it's unlikely anyone will marry you for love."
Suddenly, any envy that I might have felt turned into sympathy. Although she had many material advantages, she didn't feel loved! In that moment, I understood that our family had an advantage she didn't have because we loved each other. Moreover, anyone that loved us did so because of our personalities rather than what we possessed. I knew then that, if I ever married, it would be for love.
Those of us without wealth or fame have the assurance that our true friends generally like us and may love us for our kindness, our compassion, and our genuineness. Envy doesn't usually last among our genuine friends because they know us too well.
Through the years, I have learned that envy is a waste of time because I cannot understand what life is like for those that have possessions and opportunities that I haven't had. In Proverbs 14:30, the Bible tells us that, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (NIV) That means that envy is not physically healthy for those that practice it. In effect, envy crowds out health as well as love. Additionally, 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." (NIV)
Instead of envying others, our time is better spent praying for them to feel God's love and thanking God for what He has given us.
BIBLE VERSES FOR THIS POSTING
Proverbs 14:30 — A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (NIV)
Proverbios 14:30 — El corazón apacible es vida de la carne; Mas la envidia es carcoma de los huesos. (Reina-Valera 1960)
1 Corinthians 13:4 — Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (NIV)
1 Corintios 13:4 — El amor es sufrido, es benigno; el amor no tiene envidia, el amor no es jactancioso, no se envanece. (Reina-Valera 1960)
For two people that barely had enough money to pay for our own carefully budgeted wedding, our marriage has worked out well. [Photographer: Morris Webb, Sr.*]
* Please do not use our original photos without our permission. These include photos by Mary Hunt Webb, Morris Webb, Jr., Morris Webb, Sr., and C.B. Hunt. Thank you.
