Today’s New Covenant nugget is from 1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMPC)
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love is ever ready to believe the best of every person…
When someone does something that irritates you, offends you or angers you… when someone says something that seems inappropriate, or when they seem to walk in pride, arrogance or combativeness… what is your response?
Do you assume to know what is in their heart? Are you quick to judge? Do you get offended, irritated and in the flesh, or does their offensive action draw compassion, grace and love out of you? Do you see the diamond in them in spite of the dirt, or is your entire focus on their failure?
Now, after thinking the previous question through… when you do something wrong, irritating or offensive, how would you like Jesus to respond to you… irritated, offended, with a judgmental attitude, giving you stink eye? I don’t think so… everyone of us wants grace, love, compassion… every one of us wants Jesus to see the diamond and to not focus on our dirt! So why is it that so many treat others differently than they want Jesus to treat them?
As a pastor I often have to intervene in situations of potential conflict… I am constantly reminding people to walk in compassion, love and grace and to focus on the diamond in others and not the dirt. Responding in love and compassion towards others instead of reacting in the flesh towards them requires the renewal of your mind toward others. It requires you to see others as Jesus sees them, and you can only do so supernaturally by the divine ability of the new man in Christ.
Every single one of us is a work in progress and we all need grace, mercy, love and compassion… we all need Jesus as well as others to focus on the diamond in us and to look past the dirt.
Determine in your heart that the next time you get offended, irritated, or upset by someone, that you are going to see the diamond and give them some slack… let compassion rise up in you… let grace flow out of you and instead of giving the stink eye, look at them with loving, kind, compassionate eyes. Do this by grace through faith!
Like Jesus, look beyond another’s faults and see the diamond – always believe the best of them, in Jesus Name!
Blessings on you, Nick
