Love is Not a Record Keeper

Love is Not a Record Keeper

“It (love) keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV

“Love …….. takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].” 1 Corinthians 13:5 AMPC

Every single time I read 1 Corinthians 13, these words jump off the page right at me— “Love keeps no record of wrongs.”

Record-keeping is an important practice in business, medicine, law, academia, and sports. For example, businesses are required to keep accurate records of all transactions for legal and tax purposes.

While record-keeping has its place in certain areas of life, it has no place in our love walk.

I am a new creation in Christ. A former record keeper in construction. Or rather, a former record keeper undergoing transformation.

In the context of 1 Corinthians 13, record-keeping refers to the practice of keeping a running list and mental record of the wrongs inflicted on us by others, with the intention of either paying them back, alienating them, or mirroring their affect and attitude toward us.

Record-keeping truncates the flow of God’s love because it causes us to shield ourselves from others, isolate ourselves, and limit how we love others and how they can love us.

Record-keeping breeds strife and unforgiveness. It opens the door to chronic mental trauma because record keepers typically rehash the wrongs they suffered. 

The Cure for Record-keeping

The cure for record-keeping comes from recognizing that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24 NIV).

No one is exempt. We have all sinned against God, and we have also all sinned against one another. Therefore, we can learn to extend the same grace and love we have received from God to others.

Nope, it won’t be easy. 

Yes, it will be especially difficult to forgive those pesky repeat offenders who you are certain are doing it all on purpose.

I know.

I’ve been there too. But I have learned that record-keeping is EXHAUSTING!! It denies me the joy of enjoying and basking in God’s love for me. 

So, I choose forgiveness. 

I choose to renew my mind with the love of God when the records start playing like a disco in my thoughts.

I choose to do away with the records, and I invite you to join me to “pay no attention to a suffered wrong” (1 Corinthians 13:5 AMPC).

Reflect

How would you respond to God’s command to love others by keeping no record of wrongdoing?

Prayer

Father, forgive me for the times I have held onto grudges or responded to others based on how they treated me. Lord, I need You! Help me to renew my mind with Your love and consistently choose forgiveness when I am wrongfully treated. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

If this devotional encouraged you, my new book, Loved: Transformed by God’s Love, Empowered to Love Others, invites you to continue the journey of receiving God’s love deeply and learning to love others through the power of His transforming love. Click below to find it on Amazon.

Footnotes

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

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