Read 1 Corinthians 13:4b-5 NLT
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
“…and it keeps no record of being wronged.”
Some friends of ours have a tradition that we have adopted. Each time someone dings a garage, breaks something, or leaves a mark at their home – they literally leave their mark on it by signing their name next to it with a sharpie. It is a light-hearted way of owning up to their mistakes and making some memories.
But when it comes to life and the way we love each other, it would be pretty harsh if we kept a record like that of all our harsh words, promises not kept, or disappointments. There probably would be too many to count and we’d all be covered in sharpie – a stark visual reminder of the way we haven’t measured up.
But real love is marked in a different way. It is marked by forgiveness. It wipes the slate clean and offers a second chance. It is the way God loves us and the way He modeled for us to love each other.
Lord,
Thank You for Your example of forgiveness. You took the burden of my mistakes – my sin – upon Yourself and wiped the slate clean. I am forever grateful for the second chance at life You have given me. Help me to show the same grace and love to the people around me – choosing to not hold onto offenses but to give them to You and to allow Your love to work in me and then through me to others. Thank You for Your amazing display of love. Amen.
