I Corinthians 13
To “believe all things” means that love believes the best that is possible as long as that can be done. Love gives the benefit of the doubt. It takes people at their highest and best-not at their lowest and worst.
[How many times do we struggle with giving up when people are at their lowest? In my life, I have come to realize that when people are at their lowest, I hurt for them and want them to do better. This desire in me is from GOD alone. It is Him working through me. Tiffaney is not strong enough to deal with a lot of the issues that come up with those that I love. It seems as if they are always in WINTER seasons, BUT GOD...I can stop right there...BUT GOD in whom I Live, move, and have my being provides me with the courage and strength to be there ESPECIALLY when times are rough. Can you trust Him to help you LOVE people enough to give them the benefit of the doubt?]
We live in an increasingly cynical age. If a person gives a large sum of money to a worthy charity, there is sure to be someone who mutters under his breath, “What’s the catch? What’s in it for him?” I’m not suggesting that love equals naive gullibility. Love must always be guarded by wisdom on one hand and discernment on the other. True love won’t be taken in again and again by a con artist. At some point love says, “Enough is enough.” But it is also useful to remember that even in a court of law, the accused person is always “innocent until proven guilty.” Love says, “I am willing to wait for the evidence to come in before making my decision. I choose to give you the benefit of the doubt as long as there is reason to do so.” Some of us treat our loved ones in nearly the opposite way: “You are guilty until you prove you are innocent."
[There was a time when I struggled consistently with loving those around me with wisdom and discernment. My life has been a testament to what happens when you become a crutch. I had to learn to love from a distance and love someone enough discern when I am being a crutch and when enough is MORE than enough. Love says, I (Tiffaney) need to back up and enough to let you see that God is more than able to handle your situation. On another note, how much can be said about loving someone enough to say, I want to make sure before I make a decision? I choose to give those that I love the benefit of the doubt. I am willing to believe that this will help us in our relationships.]
People tend to become what we believe them to be. They either live up to or down to your expectations. If you treat a man as trustworthy, he will strive to prove himself worthy of your trust. If you tell a child, “Take a big swing. You can hit that ball,” he’ll go to the plate and swing like Babe Ruth. If you treat your wife as if she is the most beautiful woman in the world, she will be transformed before your very eyes.
That’s what Jesus did. To vacillating Simon, he said, “You are a rock.” To a prostitute, he said, “Your sins are forgiven.” To a woman caught in adultery, he said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” It is the simple power of believing the best and not the worst about people.
Love believes the best as long as it can be believed. What a difference it makes when we believe in those around us. What a difference it makes when husbands and wives, and parents and children, and teachers and students, and friends and co-workers, and church members truly believe in each other. What a difference it makes in the dark moments of life when you can say to those you love, “I believe in you and no matter what happens, we’re going to make it through this thing together.
[There isn't much I can say here except, "WOW! God!" The Message Bible underscores that Love "Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others.." To me this says I need to give people the benefit of the doubt BEFORE I judge and open my mouth. I need to leave previous transgressions in the past where they belong. What would I do if God held everything I ever did against me? And what I really need to do is give up the selfishness. It's not about me! This is a strange deviation from society's view of how things work. Society's "it's all about me" attitude is a stark contrast to the biblical view of "it's not about me." Humility and selflessness underscore the bible's AGAPE love. This is the kind of love I desire. I don't have a problem telling those I love that I am on their team, that I will be there for it all, and that I have their back no matter what (MJ). I want to honestly say to those I love that I believe in them no matter what happens and we'll make it through together!]
Tiffaney
(words in [] are the opinions of Tiffaney K. Draper. Sermon from www.keepbelieving.com)
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