On Keeping Accounts
One of the few jokes that I can readily call to mind is about the elephant who, seemingly without provocation, kicked a defenseless turtle. When the indignant little reptile complained to his assailant, the elephant responded, “Turtle, you’ve obviously forgotten the fact that you insulted me 10 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten because I have turtle recall.”
I’m not sure about turtle recall, but if like me you struggle to remember scriptural verses and anniversary dates, total recall sounds like a dream come true. (Armed with an eidetic memory I would never again forget my wife’s birthday). On the other hand, the apostle Paul reminds us that some things are best forgotten. In his Psalm of love (1 Cor 13:1-13) he tells us that true love “does not take into account a wrong suffered” (1 Cor 13:5 NASB). The NIV has “(love) keeps no record of wrongs.” Some commentators point out that Paul uses an accounting term in this verse, a word used for entering an item in a ledger. Godet explains: “Love, instead of entering evil as a debt in its account book, voluntarily passes a sponge over what it endures.” In short, love does not nurse grudges or probe old wounds until they bleed again; does not fan the dying embers of resentment into raging flames of hatred; does not sulk over past hurts or carefully nurture the seeds of self-pity. In a word love challenges you and me to act in defiance of every negative and petty impulse of our fleshly minds.
When that ugly little voice inside says, “Don’t forgive,” this is Satan telling us to clothe ourselves in the dirty old rags that we discarded when we came to Christ [anger wrath malice slander (Col 3:8)]. As Christians we have been called out of an unforgiving, petty, selfish world to put on the “wisdom from above” which is “pure peaceable gentle and reasonable” (Jas 3:17). And the Lord is our enabler. If we cooperate with Him, He will work in us “to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12). And it is His good pleasure that we forgive others as we have been forgiven (Col 3:13). As fallen human beings we desperately need forgiveness, and “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude” (Martin Luther King Jr). As always Christ is our model (“Father forgive them…”)
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