“Love… it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Have you ever wondered if someone had a recorded list of all the things you ever done? Believe it or not, they do...and as for me, I have a perfect memory when I think about wrongs done to me. It was today my boyfriend and I were in the car leaving church service... we were having a conversation and in light of the conversation I brought up something that happened months ago, particularly a wrongdoing. Now mind you, he had apologized for what I brought up, but its evident that I was still hanging on to his record of wrong. While I didn't have a written document, the record of the wrongdoing remained with me in my head. For him, he thought I was over it because in the car he said "God is not a I remember when God". After hearing him say this, I was reminded of what the bible says, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” I don't know about you, but when I really think about what those words mean – keeps no record of wrongs... the words 'not forgiving' came to mind. Mind you again, my boyfriend and I were not having an argument on this day, but there have been times where we have gotten into arguments, and I bring up things that he has done wrong. And if I can be honest, I'm sure he can tally up things I have done and said as well.

Here's a question for us: What If God kept a record of our wrongdoings? What if every time we do something wrong, God adds it to a list? I don't know about you, but if God were to keep a record of my wrongs, I could not survive! But I thank Him for wiping out my sin record! Truth is, God doesn't keep a record of our sins when we ask for forgiveness. Isaiah 43:25 says, "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins... It is because God loves us so much, that He does not keep a record of our sins. Romans 4:8 also tells us, “Blessed is the man who sin the Lord will NEVER count against him”. 

Speaking of God's love, forgiveness is an expression of love. In 1 Corinthians 13, which is referred to as the love chapter, the Apostle Paul talks about love... but in this post I want to focus at the every end verse 5 where Paul points out that love "keeps no records of wrongs". Here we see that not only does Paul describe love, but he also tells us what love is not... and he also shows us this is the way we are to relate to anyone. We are not to keep a record of others wrongdoings so it can be brought up at some future time and thrown back into someone's face to be used against them. Paul is saying that love never records a wrong...whether or not these wrongs were done intentionally or unintentionally.

In speaking of love, we may as well ask, are we really willing to love??? After all, that's what love is. Love doesn't hold records of wrongs against another. That said, until we give up keeping score, we are incapable of expressing love. We will also be destined to live in the failures of the past. Perhaps you have a record of wrong doing on your spouse, children, parents, other family members, or church family but as believers, we should forgive and forget! Not only that, but we should also keep in mind that if we are still holding on to others records of wrongs, we have missed the point of God's love. Note: If God keeps no record on us, how can we keep a record on others.

Prayer 

Lord help us all to forget and forgive the records we have kept on others, and thank you, Lord, for not keeping a record of our sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness. - Psalm 130:3:4

...But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:26