Love Rejoices with the Truth
Devotional Reading: It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6 ESV
Love can be costly at times—even sacrificial. But without it, where would we be? God spared no expense when demonstrating His great love for us through Jesus Christ, so let’s commit to loving others, in good times and in hard times, no matter what.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul devotes a whole chapter to instructions on how Christians should love. He says we have to do all things in love because without it our actions are null and void. It is this “love” listed in that chapter that we are commanded to show. He ends with saying that “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (13:6). In other words, God’s love seeks the best—the righteous and self-sacrificing way. That is the kind of love followers of God need to aspire to.
It’s easy to see this passage as an impossible challenge since we all know that we rarely manage to maintain the elements of love listed in the chapter. Yet, they are more than a list of what you should do. It is a reminder of how God loves us and commands us to love others–not in our own strength but in God’s, through His Spirit living in us.
When we show love that earnestly seeks the best for another, that provides acceptance and affirmation to those around us; we echo the reality of God’s love for us.
God did not create love…He is love. Being open to God’s Spirit opens up the potential for us to show that same love to another, for no reason other than LOVE itself. Love rejoices in truth; love is made known and exemplified when honesty and truth are behind it. When you do acts of kindness, with a true heart to serve, love is there.
So, make time to spend with God, be filled with the Spirit, and when faced with a situation or a person who needs love, and you’re not in the mood, do it anyway! Trust in and rely on the Holy Spirit within you to help and guide you through.
Prayer and Confession
Jesus, help me to love truly. I trust you to help and guide me to love genuinely.
Further Reading: Romans 5:8, 1John 4:19
Reading the Gospels: John 19-21
