Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Love believes all things.
I spoke at an event a year or so ago with the theme of "Loving Others, Valuing Everyone," and I said that the one attribute of love
that was missing from Paul’s list was, “Love is trustworthy.” After meditating
on the words we’re focusing on today, I think I may be wrong. Today’s attribute
is close.
If I love someone—truly love him—I’ll believe the best of him. I’ll believe
he’ll do his best. He’ll be loyal and kind. He’ll be faithful to me. In fact,
I’ll believe he’s worthy of my trust.
In return, I need to be the same for him. This is the relationship I’m blessed
to have with my husband. I know he’ll be faithful to me. I know he’ll love me
through sickness and health, good times and bad, riches and poverty … because
he has.
So I can believe he’ll be the same in the next year or five or ten.
Love isn’t blind. That’s certain. If someone has clear issues—anger, a tendency
to belittle, a history of infidelity—you should avoid an intimate
relationship. However, if he has proven
himself to be faithful, then you can trust him.
You can believe in him.
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