Love Keeps No Record

First Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings, but it's written to a church. A messy, divided, contentious church. And right in the middle of Paul's description of love, he says this: Love 'keeps no record of wrongs.'

No record. No ledger. No mental tally of every offense, every slight, every time you were wronged.

This is one of the hardest parts of forgiveness. It's one thing to say the words 'I forgive you.' It's another thing to actually let go of the record. To stop bringing it up in your mind. To stop rehearsing the offense. To stop using it as ammunition in future conflicts.

But that's what love does. Love releases the record. Love chooses not to keep score.

This doesn't mean you forget. You might remember what happened. But you choose not to hold it against the person. You choose not to let it define the relationship. You choose to move forward without dragging the past along with you.

This is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. On your own, you'll keep the record. You'll nurse the wound. You'll hold on to the hurt. But the Spirit enables you to do what you can't do on your own — to love the way God loves, to forgive the way God forgives, to release the record the way God has released yours.

As you head into the Lord's Day tomorrow, ask the Spirit to search your heart. Is there a record you've been keeping? A grudge you've been holding? A wound you've been nursing? Bring it to the Lord. Ask Him to help you release it. And trust that He will give you the grace to love without keeping score.