A Love that Believes All Things

 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; 

it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;

 it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 

 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7

We've all read these verses, memorized these verses, heard these verses recited at weddings, and some, I'm sure, have even embroidered these verses.   Chapter 13, from the book of 1 Corinthians, is known as the "love" chapter; it's root expounds upon what love truly looks like in action.

But if your like me, you can jump to conclusions pretty quickly regarding how a person's actions may appear, ascribing malicious motive, before really knowing the full story let alone the intent of their hearts.  

The admonitions listed throughout these love verses, when put into practice, would remove much angst from our thoughts, especially when we choose to believe all things...

A Love that Doesn't Jump to Conclusions

Some examples come to mind of what jumping to conclusions might look like...   A wife may have caught her husband in a lie a time or two and trust has been compromised making it hard to believe all things when he comes home late.  Or a child who breaks curfew, when your waiting yet another night to hear their car pull up in the driveway.

In those two scenarios, it definitely would be hard to believe all things, to think the best of a loved one, without jumping to conclusions because of past precedent.

But isn't that what we are called to do?

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

 “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 

 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! 

Matthew 18:22

It could be that a son or daughter came upon a late night car accident and stopped to aid those who were injured, causing them to "break curfew".

Or a husband may have stopped to go grocery shopping to surprise his wife so she wouldn't have to go out later.

In both of these cases, the motives were honorable, yet, on the part of the person waiting, instead of praying and believing all things about those who were late, the time was spent imagining all kinds of disobedient or sketchy plans on their part.  

I truly believe that the love verses are just as much for our own benefit and mental health as they are for those we love.

When we continually put into practice God's design for love, we will be at peace...

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

When tumultuous emotions take the day because of a loved one, we are laboring in negative thoughts, and heavy ladened with self!   Instead of unburdening to the Lord, the ugly burden gets dumped onto the loved one.

When we believe the worst rather than believe the best of someone, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  The person may think, he/she believes I'll do this anyway, so I might as well.   

Our Lord and Savior set the ultimate example of what it means to love wholly, unconditionally, perfectly.  He took the penalty of our sin upon Himself and died for us so that we would be forgiven.   

And for that very reason, it's okay when we struggle to love someone...  When we fail at loving...   But we don't have to remain in that struggle...

Humble yourselves, therefore, 

under God’s mighty hand, 

so that in due time He may exalt you.

 Cast all your anxiety on Him, 

because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;

Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Psalm 138:8

A Love that Believes God

There is another application for a love that believes all things...  and that is in our love toward God.

When we fret, worry and complain, are we believing ALL things about God?  

God is not man, that he should lie, 

or a son of man, that he should change his mind. 

Has he said, and will he not do it? 

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19

And there is A LOT to believe God for.  The entire Word of God!

In the Blue Letter Bible online study tool which you can find here you will find an exhaustive list of facts about God with accompanying Scripture references showcasing God's trustworthiness through  {Our God is___________} and that {We are___________} statements

H.W. Webb Peploe said...

Never turn God's facts into hopes or prayers, 

but simply use them as realities;

 and you will find them powerful as you believe them.

{excerpt from Streams in the Desert}

I would venture to say that every one of God's promises contains some form of the word "is" and "are".  

Definitions:

"Is" is the 3rd person singular present of "be",

"Are" is the 2nd person singular present, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd person plural present of "be".

The first definition of "be" is "exist" and the second definition of "be" is "occur, take place"

As Beth Moore would say, "You can take that to the Spiritual Bank!"  :-)

Oh that we would live in the reality of God's promises.

And may our love express itself to both man and God in a manner that believes all things.   For truly then the Joy of the Lord will be our strength, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

For similar posts click on the following:

 4 Scripture-Based Strategies for a Stress Free Marriage

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