Love takes no account of the evil done to it. Here again, the King James rendering, just doesn't cut it for me. It renders I Cor 13 verse 5 as "...thinketh no evil", but when you dig a little deeper into the original use of these words, you see that this refers to: a taking into account of things, and in this particular case, the thing is "NO EVIL".
Now in keeping within the context that this verse is in, we are talking about how LOVE, TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF THE EVIL DONE TO IT, another way to put it is that, LOVE PAYS NO ATTENTION TO A SUFFERED WRONG. WOW, can this be true. Well, it's right here in God's word, and if we have searched the scripture like we just did, its there, just as clear as day. So, what does this mean, in layman's terms. Well, It all goes back to what we discussed in our earlier study about viewing God, ourselves, and each other, from God's view. Remember, "that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us".
It means that with the help of the Holy Spirit we perceive things from God's reasoning and with the TRUTH about... "evil", for one thing. We have learned that everyone has the capacity to do wrong. Everyone makes mistakes. Nothing can happen to us that God has not allowed, for whatever reason He chooses. We also know that this is what God is asking us to do and that He would not do that unless He believed that we were capable of doing it. Further, it is important to remember that He understands what it means to experience EVIL.
Whether you watch "The Passion of Christ", by Mel Gibson, or you have actually studied the way Roman Soldiers typically tortured and crucified people, you know that Christ (who is also God) knows what evil feels like. Now, these verses may not be trying to prepare us for that much evil (although it is ALL inclusive), lets just consider (for starters) people cutting you off in traffic, emptying the milk carton and leaving the container in the refrigerator.
Love, (AGAPE LOVE) takes no account for things such as that too. Give it a try, start small, practice, set your mind to live this way every day. At some point, you'll notice that forgiveness will seldom be an issue.
I remember it was on this element of love that the Spirit drew me further down in this chapter to verse 11, about "growing up". This verse had always seemed out of place, here in the teaching about love. Now, I know that this verse applies to the whole teaching on love, but again, it was this "taking no account of evil" that brought verse 11 into focus.
Here is what I mean. Early in my journey with the Holy Spirit, whenever I would get my feelings hurt by people (even Christians) the Spirit of God would urge me to forgive them. The more that Love developed within me, I learned more about the nature of people, the nature of evil, and the Truth from God's Word and now I "rarely" (I can't say never) even account for what people might do or say to me.
Spiritually speaking, when I was a child, I forgave people for hurting me, but as I matured, I no longer account for wrong done to me.
Ok, enough about that, let's look more into the nature of this "evil" that Love, "takes NO account of". Isn't it true that we were born into a fallen world. Beside the fact that the nature of man and the earth too are in a fallen state because of sin, we also have an evil, powerful, devil that is temporarily loose on this world we live in. But it is also true that God never meant for it to be this way. It is also true that Satan is NOT totally FREE to do what he wants. These are some of the truths underpinning my "way of reasoning" now. Like a pawn in a chess game, God uses the wiles of this evil to fulfill His plan.
Just like Job, there is the fallen conditions of this world that we (like Jesus) must endure. And, just like Job, God will only allow Satan to do but so much to us. One more truth (out of a whole bible full) and I'll move on. Even if God allows enough evil to end my life today, I will immediately be with Him. Now, just with these few considerations that I've mentioned here, Why WOULD love account for evil done to it.
Oh, my friends, I hope you're getting this today. You can do this, with God's help, of course. Most importantly, you will show God that you are trying to do the most important thing to Him.
Think about this too, often, we perceive that someone wronged us as an attack on us personally, when the truth is, they were only thinking of themselves. Regardless, if they were or not, the issue is what God is doing in or with that situation. He (God) is not doing the evil (Please, understand this) but has allowed it for a purpose. There is an example of one of the ways these experiences work in the 1st chapter of Job.
"6.Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them. 7.And the Lord said to Satan, From where did you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and for on the earth and from walking up and down on it. 8.And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently] fears God and abstains from and shuns evil [because it is wrong]? 9.Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job [reverently] fear God for nothing? 10.Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have conferred prosperity and happiness upon him in the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11.But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face. 12.And the Lord said to Satan (the adversary and the accuser), Behold, all that he has is in your power, only upon the man himself put not forth your hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
Now, if you know the rest of this story, you know that Job suffers greatly from the events following this scene we just read. I wanted you to hear, whom is doing the evil (in this case Satan and his underlings) and who allowed "specific" things for Satan to do.
But as you continue in Jobs' story we see that ultimately God turns the evil thing that Satan did into "ultimately" blessings.
10. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they sympathized with him and comforted him over all the [distressing] calamities that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, and every man an earring of gold.
12. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
13. He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14. And he called the name of the first Jerimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch.
15. And in all the land there were no women so fair as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers.
16. After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his sons' sons, even to four generations.
17. So Job died, an old man and full of days.
Trusting God, and relying on His Word when evil is done against us, we need not worry nor account for it. God is "Ultimately" still in control.
I hope you believe that today, my friends.
I love you.
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