1 Corinthians 13:6-7 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
This scripture verse tells us that true love never takes
pleasure in evil. Anything evil is an attribute or property that is the total
opposite of the qualities, excellence, and superiorities of God and His ways.
Love takes no pleasure in the downfall of others into any evil trap that Satan
may have set. Some do bask in the misfortune and agony of other people. Some
can’t wait to hear the latest titbits of gossip about the misfortune of others.
Love never enjoys hearing about the hardships and misfortunes of those around
them. Moreover, true love never rushes out to inform the world about it.
The discovery of what brings one pleasure is speaking to who one is. We have fallen into one of Satan’s traps ourselves when we take pleasure in hearing of the failures of others: defamation and disparagement are traits of our enemy, the evil one, Satan. Spreaders of gossip, propagators of scandals, and disseminators of hearsay follow the outline of Satan’s game plan, as those who listen to gossip do the same. Gossip, rumors, and hearsay cannot be loved; they can only hurt and destroy. Modern-day entertainment turns wrong into right by bringing glory to the villain. This evil idea is to influence people’s viewpoint to be opposed to God’s viewpoint (Isaiah 5:20). Love rejoices not only because of truth but along with the truth; the two, love and truth, go hand in hand in the only pure truth known to humankind, the Holy Word of God.
Love defends the character of other people. Love steers away from gossip and can keep information within (1 Peter 4:8) Love praises the spiritual accomplishment and victory of others. When God’s Holy Word spreads to the ends of the earth, all will observe complete and established love. We should always speak the truth no matter what the consequences might be. However, that truth should always be conveyed in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Love prevails in the truth because we can say that we are not like we used to be nor like we should be, but we can be content and safe in our struggle towards truth and love and discover God’s perfect will for our lives. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Love does not seek an easy life; that is what self-love seeks after.” True love always denies itself and will always sacrifice itself so that all will see victories in Christ Jesus, and the reward for that is an eternal flame that no human can extinguish.
Sinful human nature loves to down others to lift oneself. On the other hand, love protects the reputation of others. There is an obstinate delight in disclosing other people’s failures. This hunger and craving sells tell-all magazines, but what is sadder is that this inclination entrenches itself in the hearts of many carnal Christians. Love does not endure sins but bears all things. We can test our love for other people by how much we shield their downfalls. Love does not validate the sins of others but encourages them to get back on track. God did that for all before Christ at the “mercy seat” because the shed blood of sacrificial animals covered sin; however, it did not remove it; only the Cross of Calvary removed sin.
No comments:
Post a Comment