1 Corinthians 13:7 AMPC
[7] 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].
We continue to look at love from God's own perspective, not the world's. This distinction is critical, because the world only looks at what it can gain or get, without giving anything of value in return. The world only labours after its own benefits, not what it can give out. The verse above confirms that love can bear up under anything. There is no pressure that love cannot endure, because it has no breaking point. Again, it is important to emphasize that we are speaking of God's version of love. If God were to mark and punish iniquity as soon as it is committed, I doubt if anyone would still be alive today. It is love that makes God wait for me to come to Him, even after He had paid a high price to secure my salvation. It is love that does not give up easily, and like the lost sheep, will do all He can to ensure the safety and security of every sheep under His care. He does not stop loving because we stop following Him.
God's version of love is always ready to believe the best of everyone. It does not proceed from the point of suspicion and mistrust, where every action is interpreted in the light of my own prejudice and envy. God's love is able to see things from the other person's point of view, appreciating the person's experiences, whilst seeking to establish God's truth. Even when it is clear that the person is wrong, the approach is to get the person who see and understand God's truth clearly, so that the right action can be taken. You cannot force truth down the throat of anyone; it is always easier and quicker when the person knows the truth, and is set free from the bondage of falsehood. God's love never loses hope that anyone can change for the better, because its foundation is not built on the ever-changing principles of the world but on the unchanging nature of God. As it is God's nature we are speaking about here, be sure that God's love does not expire until it truly expires.
Hope is such that it does not tie itself to time. As long as the earth is in place, God's love will not give up on anyone. This is why the worst of sinners have hope of a new life in and through Christ. That is why the worst of sinners can become the best of saints. That is why a Saul, who persecuted the followers of Christ, could become the same who was inspired to write about most of the new testament letters. God's love has endured through the passing of time and man's reckless rejection of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. If that is the example that we have, and the reason why we now have hope, can we afford to do less? Can we then refuse to extend the same grace we enjoy to other people? Should we be quick to judge others, or think they are beyond saving, when we could have been the ones without hope and destined for destruction? I am grateful to God for all I have received, and I trust He will help me extend this same grace to other people. His love helps me love the right way. Would you also allow Him work in you, so He can flow out of you? God's time of favour is here.
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