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While I was swimming yesterday afternoon, I was praying about the best way to approach a tricky inter-personal situation - specifically what response would show love to the individuals involved.
I decided to read through 1 Corinthians 13 (the chapter dealing with love), and see how it applied.
On first reading, I was a little frustrated. This talks so much about what to BE, and so little about what to DO.
Then my next thought was ... what we ARE is absolutely foundational to what we do.
When I read through again, there seemed to be so much there that DID pertain to how I should react.
Here's some of my thoughts as I read through it:
1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient
Iit's quite easy to be very patient with my own failings ... but I need to exercise that same patience with others. God is working in their lives, and who am I to decide He's not dealing with them fast enough, or in the areas I think he should?),
love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
(am I seeking the other people's best in this situation? Or just concerned because it's bothering ME? Do I think I'm "above" struggling with this issue?)
5 does not act unbecomingly;
(even if they are acting unbecomingly, or rudely, responding to them that way is not loving)
it does not seek its own,
(in desiring this situation to be rectified, I shouldn't have my own interests as part of the motivation)
is not provoked,
(is it irritating me? it shouldn't be!)
does not take into account a wrong suffered, (in some versions, this is written "thinketh no evil" or "thinks the best")
(am I concerned about some offense toward myself? it's God's job to deal with that, not mine! I want to choose to put the best possible spin on any situation -- rather than choosing to think the worst.)
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(put up with the situation, trusting that good will come, and God will use it for good ... more than that ... rejoicing in the knowledge that God promises to "work all things together for good.")
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4 comments:
Thank you Trinka. I needed that today.
Trinka, I have tried to study that passage in the past and didn't have the patience for it. : ) Yours was the best explanation of that passage I have ever read. Rachel
Wow! Glad you took the time to read it a second time! I'm wondering about the "has someone offended me? That's for God to deal with..."
What about the verse that says if you have ought against your brother, go clear the air?
I certainly would be the last one to tell you that there is a black and white response to this issue. I think sticking with our favorite color is probably the best here too (grey)!
Love reading your blog!
That's true ... we are to go back to one who has offended us.
It's hard to know where the balance is though. Some of us can so EASILY be offended, that we sometimes need to examine the issue first, and see if it's genuinely an offense, or just overly-touchy feelings.
I think that sometimes when I run something through the "what does God say about this" filter a few times, it ceases to offend.
But if something DOES continue to offend, I think it is definitely our responsibility to go to that person.
Nice to see you commenting! :)
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