1 Corinthians 13:4-7 English Standard Version

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;^[a] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Footnote a: Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing

Pondering the issue of insistence, it is possible that one source of an insistent attitude may be driven by perceived neglect. By replacing counting up wrongdoings with resentful we have replaced the source of the attitude with the resulting attitude.

People who keep score will always perceive that they are owed recompense. When they do not receive it the score goes up and the attitude becomes more insistent.

Life owes us nothing but death.

That is an extremely difficult comment and can only be fully appreciated in the character and quality of God’s mercy and grace. Neither are earned. They are free gifts from God come with the additional benefit of agape love, having found them in the sacrificial works of Christ on the Cross. The abiding love of Christ is this love spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13. It abides in us and can only shine through our flesh if it is allowed to manifest itself by the changing of our hearts and minds.

The mind reflects the change of heart. Sadly the mind cannot change the heart. It works the other way around. Those of us who exhibit attitudes that are insistent, irritable and resentful are in need of heart change.

Psalm 119:11 English Standard Version (ESV) I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

While His Word may be in their memory, they have not been taken to heart.

Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.

This is quoted without chapter and verse. It might have even come out of some secular work because of the soundness of advice. It is quotable but I have never heard it quoted by anyone.

Here is the point to this quote. Do you know it to be true?

Most of the quotes I have heard over the years have been to call attention to the lost about God’s love, mercy and grace. Some even have purpose for encouragement to believers who in their circumstances need a good word.

Words of wisdom often come as quotes to help us straighten out our paths as we try and walk with Christ. Some quotes are used to warn others of perceived dangers. Some give peace. Some comfort the grieving. Quotes can be used in many ways. They can even be misused.

While I was doing my bible reading this morning I came across this verse and it stood out as being true. Have we lived a life that allows us to experience truth in our lives so that we can confirm the word as being absolutely true?

Do we take these truths to be self-evident or have they manifested themselves in the life we live?

God has not given us these precious words to believe only but to be lived out in a life that glorifies God. Words are meaningless to the lost if the life they see in us doesn’t manifest the truth of these words. Being a hearer of the word is insufficient to reach the lost. We must live these words, not so much for our own sake but for those who are being called by God to come to Him.

The purpose of all scripture has not changed from the beginning.

God is calling for the restoration of relationship with Him.

The fact that we have it is only the beginning of our involvement.