Love does not rejoice in immoral or grossly unfair behavior but rejoices in the quality or state of being truth. Love, true love, does not sit there and encourage behavior that is clearly wrong, or not of the Lord but delights in behavior that aligns itself with what God has deemed right.
Having spent a lot of my life in the church, I have seen my fair share of “walk aways”. Those that have practically grown up right beside you (Pastor’s/Overseers Kids, founding family members, church babies) and then for one reason or another decide that they are through with God and the Church. The thing about this though is that they don’t just decide from one day to another get up and decide to leave. It starts with small compromises, a little sin here, a doubt there, one small act of rebellion every now and then, it’s harmless really....
The thing is that it’s not, I experienced this first hand as one of my childhood best friend decided that the entirety of the Christian church was compromised of hypocrites and that she shouldn’t try so hard to be a “good” girl. If the entire church was lying and committing sin anyway (regardless of what they profess with their mouths) why should she be any different? It started off slowly enough, a small get together with friends that weren’t believers, a change in wardrobe, music and speech. I sat there and watched this happen, I wanted to ask and confront her about it, I wanted to know why she was changing from the friend I’ve always know. Her response? I shouldn’t be so judgmental and high and mighty, who did I think I was?
Scared that I would lose a friendship I held so near and dear I stopped questioning and started supporting, laughing when at jokes that weren’t even funny, listening to music she loved but was in way way glorifying to God. I enabled her to continue her slow but sure descent from where God wanted her to be. I wasn’t loving her in the way God called me to love her. I failed her and God. I didn’t speak up and confront her with truth and love the way that it is so evidently spelled out for us in the word of God. It’s one of my biggest regrets to this day, and I still continue to pray for her
God calls us in true love to stand for the truth, what He has spoken and what we know is His will for our lives and not encourage iniquity, not just in other people’s lives but in our lives as well.
Encouragement is an important aspect of Love, but Love is also holding someone accountable when you see them going down a road you know they shouldn’t be going down. If we look at parents, mentors, good teachers, family members, they’re not afraid to call us out when we are about to make a boneheaded move. In the same way that love is patient and kind, it will not tolerate iniquity, but rejoice in truth.
Application: I will keep those that I love accountable in love and truth, but also ask that I be held accountable as well ( not by the same person) making sure that I act out of a place of truth and not iniquity.
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