Love keeps No Record of Wrongs
I am in a denomination that likes record keeping. We are asked to keep track of baptisms, professions of faith, membership, worship attendance, attendance for bible study and christian education and giving. We want to keep records of how the numbers change from year to year. Each year we fill out year end report to create a record of what happened in the year. Because we keep these records we can go back to just about any year and bring up the numbers to compare. We are record keepers of certain types of records, not all. I could spend many post on the topic of our churches record keeping but that really gets nowhere. I bring this up because it came to mind as I thought about the 1 Corinthians 13 description of love that says "love keeps no record of wrong." Record keeping, hmm?
I looked at some other translations of the bible to try to understand this description more fully. It is interesting that the King James translates this part of verse 5 as "thinketh no evil" and both the New Revised Standard and the English Standard version use the phrase "not resentful". The Message says, "doesn't keep score of the sins of others". The Arabic Bible translates to "not keeping a record of the abuse."
When we are resentful we just continue to think about the wrong and abuse that others have done. When we hold resent in our hearts we just hold onto the evil and the wrong of others. It is like keeping records or keeping score of what someone has done to us so that it is easy to recall and easy to compare. We keep it ever before us so that we never see the good we just stay focused on the evil. We hold onto the evil, keep the record, and keep that record playing over and over. Maybe they are talking about a record like we had when I was a kid that you recorded music on. We do that don't we when we are resentful of what others have done or the abuse we have faced we just play the scene, play what was said over and over in our minds. And it consumes us and robs us of our ability to move on. It robs us of our ability to live. It traps us in the past so we cant experience the present. It makes us bitter. Love however takes a different path. Love keeps no records and does not keep score. Instead of thinking on the evil and the abuse and letting it consume us we focus on the good. The Bible gives us a prescription for how to overcome being trapped in resentment and bitterness and to become more loving, forgiving and grace filled.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9
Love keeps no record of wrongs. It does not focus on the evil it looks for the good. It lives in the present moment and the joy of the Lord today.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
I looked at some other translations of the bible to try to understand this description more fully. It is interesting that the King James translates this part of verse 5 as "thinketh no evil" and both the New Revised Standard and the English Standard version use the phrase "not resentful". The Message says, "doesn't keep score of the sins of others". The Arabic Bible translates to "not keeping a record of the abuse."
When we are resentful we just continue to think about the wrong and abuse that others have done. When we hold resent in our hearts we just hold onto the evil and the wrong of others. It is like keeping records or keeping score of what someone has done to us so that it is easy to recall and easy to compare. We keep it ever before us so that we never see the good we just stay focused on the evil. We hold onto the evil, keep the record, and keep that record playing over and over. Maybe they are talking about a record like we had when I was a kid that you recorded music on. We do that don't we when we are resentful of what others have done or the abuse we have faced we just play the scene, play what was said over and over in our minds. And it consumes us and robs us of our ability to move on. It robs us of our ability to live. It traps us in the past so we cant experience the present. It makes us bitter. Love however takes a different path. Love keeps no records and does not keep score. Instead of thinking on the evil and the abuse and letting it consume us we focus on the good. The Bible gives us a prescription for how to overcome being trapped in resentment and bitterness and to become more loving, forgiving and grace filled.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9
Love keeps no record of wrongs. It does not focus on the evil it looks for the good. It lives in the present moment and the joy of the Lord today.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
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