1 Corinthians 13:5c Love is not easily offended

The King James uses the word provoked but here I choose to use offended. Provoked implies an intentional attack on your sensibilities where offences often occur because we do not know the things in another’s life which leave them wounded deep inside.

We can offend without intention, but the offence exposes the presence of deep wounds that need to be healed. As we attend to fellowship with one another these things are bound to occur. Here is an opportunity to address the wound and apply the balm of grace to heal those wounds.

If we wait to be provoked, we might never see this within a fellowship setting, where friends are looking to help. We will be provoked in the world where there is no help. I know there are times when my blunt style renders an offence, but if you shrink back and do not address the offence, no healing can be found.

Being provoked in the world leads to war. The enemy will attack all the more if they perceive a weakness. I would rather reveal an offence with a friend than be provoked by an enemy. A friend will help heal the wound, the enemy will only pick at it until I start bleeding.

Proverbs 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

If I offend you, I need to know it.

Proverbs 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:

If I cannot accept correction, I have bigger problems that the offence I caused.

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

1 Corinthians 13:5b seeketh not her own

There are a few different ways to look at this verse. The more obvious is self-interest, selfishness. I agree that this is a large part of this verse but I can see a little more. Seeking is related to God’s will.

Psalm 105:3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Beyond that I can see it is wrong to only have fellowship with people who agree with you. Yes, we are to be like minded but that being the mind of Christ, not mine.

How can we minister to the lost if we do not value their opinions as being valid in context to their circumstances? How do you reason truth to a person if you shut them off and remain closed to their feelings?

People who seek their own are a closed door. They are not friendly, warm, nor understanding. We should be able to understand a person’s circumstance even if we do not agree with it.

Can you love someone who disagrees with you vehemently? They will never feel the love of God that is being offered if you shut the door and throw away the key.

I’ve admired how Jesus could sit with sinners and publicans and not allow who they were and where He was to change Him in any way. I’d like to get better at it, so that means keeping myself open and available.