I  remember someone teaching me that it does not help anyone to tell them they ought to do something. What helps a person is to teach them how to do something. So how do we walk in love, what is it to walk in love?

Walking in love has two parts. “Walking” is a person’s conduct or behavior. “In love” is the character and attitude with which it is to be done.

I Corinthians 13:1   Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Charity in this verse is another word for love.

Speaking in tongues is the conduct (the walking part), but speaking in tongues is not of itself walking in love since this verse tells us it can be done without love.

I Corinthians 13:2   And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Having prophecy, understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and having all believing are the conduct (the walking part), but they are not of themselves walking in love since this verse tells us they can be done without love.

I Corinthians 13:3   And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Bestowing all my goods to feed the poor is the conduct (the walking part), but giving to the poor is not of itself walking in love since this verse tells us it can be done without love. Giving of my body in service to the point of being burned out is the conduct (the walking part), but giving of myself in service is not of itself walking in love since this verse tells us it can be done without love.

Someone conducting themselves in a manner mentioned above is not necessarily walking in love, since all these things can be done without love. In order to walk in love you not only have to conduct yourself (the walking part), but that conduct has to be done in love. So what is love all about? (sounds like a song)

I Corinthians 13:4   Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

To suffer long is to be slow to anger, to be patient. To be kind is to be good, to be honest, to be considerate. To envy not is to not be filled with jealousy, to not boil with anger. To vaunt not is to not make yourself appear more than what you are (ego applied). To be not puffed up is to not be proud or egotistical.

So to walk in love is to have believing and not be egotistical about it. To walk in love is to give of yourself in service and be kind, honest and considerate as you are doing so. To walk in love is to have all understanding and not make yourself appear more than what you are. To walk in love is to conduct yourself with the attitude of love.

I Corinthians 13:5   Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

To not behave unseemly is to not act indecently and out of order. To seek not your own is to not have a “get, get, get” frame of mind. To be not easily provoked is to not be reactive. To think no evil is to not draw evil conclusions before knowing the facts.

So to walk in love is to speak in tongues and to not do it indecently or out of order. To walk in love is to have believing and not have a “get, get, get” frame of mind. To walk in love is to give to the poor and not think evil as you are giving. To walk in love is to conduct yourself with the attitude of love.

I Corinthians 13:6   Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

To rejoice not in iniquity is to not enjoy it when others get in trouble. To rejoice in the truth is to rejoice in God’s Word.

To walk in love is to conduct yourself with the attitude of love.

I’ve heard it said that love (the love of God) is the highest form of discipline. Honestly, I have seen people very disciplined in giving and serving and not so disciplined in love. It just might take a little more discipline to love than to serve.

I would like to share a couple of quotes from Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille, a great man of God who was a great example of someone walking in love.

“It’s not the amount of work you produce that’s important. It’s the love with which you produce it that is important and will be remembered after the gathering together.”

“God does not regard the greatness of the work we do, but the love and tenderness with which we do it.”

I Corinthians 13:13   And now abideth faith, hope, charity [love of God], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love of God].

God puts a pretty high value on love. We need to discipline ourselves to walk and have a behavior of serving and giving and believing. But even greater, we need to discipline ourselves to love. For without love, everything else we do is of no profit to us.