The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7 that “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.”
Great verse. Too bad we don’t live it out.
Seriously, I see this verse being butchered all the time. Instead of doing what it says, we do the opposite. Instead of BELIEVING THE BEST when it comes to others, we find ourselves doing the opposite…ASSUMING THE WORST.
Instead of taking the “unfilled-in-blanks” (Why is he late? Why didn’t she call? Why did he _____?) and filling them in the most generous way, what do we do? We fill them in the unhealthiest way possible.
What love does in relationships is this—it gives the other person (spouse, friend, family member, co-worker) the benefit of the doubt. Love finds the most generous explanation for the other person’s behavior.
Assume the worst vs. believe the best.
How would our homes change if we lived out 1 Corinthians 13:7? How would our workplaces be revolutionized if we believed the best about those we work with?
I shared these thoughts with our staff several weeks ago. We now catch ourselves all the time using the language and trying to adopt the principle. It’s making us healthier.
Give it a try.
Posted on
Tue, November 15, 2011
by Phil Print
filed under