Day Nine: Throwing Away Our Record Books
Love…keeps no record of wrongs. –1 Corinthians 13:5
When sinners live with other sinners it is not surprising that we will sin against one another. I suppose if we kept an actual notebook of the wrongs we’ve done and the wrongs done against us we could fill a couple shelves of notebooks. Some of these would be minor infractions that are easily forgotten. Others might be deeper seated wounds, real issues that need to be worked through. We are told to not keep a record of these—this means that we will deal with these offenses and not become resentful towards one another.
The Corinthians had been keeping a list of wrongs towards one another. Their resentment towards one another was fracturing their church. The same will happen to our marriages if we keep these record books.But love will burn them to the ground. We gain nothing by keeping record. Instead let us forgive one another, take our wounds to Christ, and live in the freedom of forgiveness. Pray today that we will cast of the shackles of resentment.
Father, if you kept a record of wrongs we could not stand? But you do not. You know our frame, you remember that we are dust and you choose to forgive. You graciously cast our sin as far as the east is from the west and remember them no more. Help us to burn the record books as well. We acknowledge that we gain nothing from hanging on to these offenses. Help us to deal with them in healthy and appropriate ways. Give us hearts ready to forgive and a love which is quick to cover offenses. Amen.
