Scripture reminds us in the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) what love is. Love is patient, kind, doesn't envy or boast. Love is not proud or envious, nor does it dishonor others. It's not self-seeking or easily angered. Love doesn't delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. It protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, and never fails. And it keeps no record of wrongs. I don't know about you, but this one has been speaking to my soul the past few weeks, and convicting me of how often I fail to love without any record keeping.
The older I get, the more my memory stinks. I've never been great at remembering names, dates in history, or when I'm due for my next colonoscopy (who wants to remember that?). But chances are pretty good that if you've wronged me in word or action, I remember. And while I will readily admit that, I'll also acknowledge how wrong this behavior is. There are life lessons to learn from being hurt or betrayed, wronged or assaulted. But when you love someone, you aren't to keep tabs. In fact, as far as love goes, they didn't happen- they're simply gone. Apart from the Holy Spirit, this would be an impossible request, until we take a really good look at how God loves us.
God has every reason to not only remember my wrongs, but to disqualify me from His love and redemption because of them. Every sin I've ever committed has been against Him, and yet because of the blood of Jesus, He chooses to love me and forget my sin. This form of love is more powerful than I could ever understand, because there isn't a laundry list of great things about me that should earn His favor. Yet this is how God loves us, and He asks us to love others this same way. He doesn't command us to do something we aren't capable of doing, but He often asks us to do things that are impossible without His help. Like keeping no record of wrong.
What words and actions are you holding on to from the past that you believe justify you from loving the offender? Is it an insult from a friend? A rude comment about one of your children that was brought to your attention? Have you been betrayed by an affair? Have you been hurt by a parent? Has someone criticized your work or your appearance that left you angry and insecure? Friends- loving is hard business, and somedays it almost seems impossible to love without keeping score. Especially in marriage- yet it's crucial that we learn how to let go. Air out your differences and confess your faults and failures, and then you'll need to leave them in the past, relinquishing the right to bring them up again. Because this is what God has done for us. When we confess our sins before Him, He not only forgives us, but removes them from our record. They are erased- gone!
Somedays, following Jesus is easy- days when our cost of following is low. But other days, following Him is hard- especially in the realm of loving like He loves us. But the reward will always, always be worth it. So whatever records you're keeping against others, it's time to erase the slate. Release them. Free yourself- and simply love, knowing that by choosing to love when it's hard is a true reflection of His Spirit within you. A person who doesn't keep records from past wrongs is a breath of fresh air. Go ahead- be that person. It won't go unnoticed. It'll only make your light shine brighter.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
Dear heavenly Father, help me to let go of the past offenses of others against me. It goes against my flesh, but we know that when we love in this way- forgiving and forgetting, we reflect Your very nature within us. Thank You, Father, for erasing the record of my sin, bought by Your precious blood. In Your name we pray, Amen!
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