Believe the Best

Love bears up under anything. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMPC)

Competitions for who can carry the most weight date back centuries. In one type, massive sacks are put on the competitors’ backs and they are challenged to get up and walk. It’s unbelievable how much weight they can carry.

Our verse today says that love bears up under anything. This doesn’t mean you should tolerate abuse, but even in the healthiest relationships you will have to bear up under a heavy burden of emotional pressure at times. Love can take it. It can handle a great deal of pressure as you choose to be “ever ready to believe the best of every person” (1 Corinthians 13:7, AMP).

You can choose to believe the best instead of focusing on the worst. This applies to your closest, most intimate relationships, but it also applies to the kind of love you can have for acquaintances and even strangers. When someone hurts you, you can choose to respond in love by believing the best in them.

People are all born into different circumstances. Those who cause the biggest problems are often the ones who are hurting the most. The biggest bully might be the little boy who never had someone hug him or tell him he’s amazing. The woman who talks about you behind your back may have been a little girl who grew up not knowing what it’s like to be loved.

While it may not be safe to trust everyone or bring them into your close circle of friends, you can love them—and not just when they meet your standards. Learn to see people through God’s eyes. He sent His Son to die for them. Stay focused on the good in others so you can love and accept people the way Jesus did.