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<2023.03> Love Believes All Things

Love 
Believes All Things
Special Lecture, California
September 13, 2008
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Putting Myself in front of God
My thoughts have undergone many changes over the past year. In a sense, I seem to have become much weaker as a human being, but in another sense, I seem to have become stronger. What about you? 
You may feel that your path has been smooth: your work has gone well, your life of faith has run smoothly, you have not clashed with any of the brothers and sisters, and you have enjoyed meeting with the brothers and sisters. Yet, when things are going well like that, you may hear something bad, or witness something that you never expected to see, and you find yourself facing a problem. Even though you had been strong up to that point and your thoughts had been wholesome, suddenly, you begin to wonder how a person as weak as you are can really stand before God.
When we as brothers and sisters put our heads together and spend time discussing the work that we need to carry out, I am not particularly concerned. At such times, I often think I will be able to run and not trip over. Yet, even at such times, when I am completely alone and think about standing in front of God, it seems to me that I am very weak.
There is a reason for my saying this. For a long time now we have continued to talk in the midst of our fellowship about health. At one of our summer conferences, we took as our theme verse, “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11), and I studied the Bible with some of our medical doctors, learning from them, and discussing this matter. When we study the Bible, examine what it says, and discuss it with the brothers and sisters, we tend not see what lies in other directions. It is like an athlete who runs towards the finishing line, only looking ahead and without looking to either side of him. The Bible talks about running the race (see Hebrews 12:1). We hold these various conferences and other events and we discussed them together, doing the work we see needs to be and the work to which we can turn our hands.
Yet, when I set this joy to one side for a moment, and stand on my own before the words, “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” I think a great deal about the kind of person I am when I stand before God.
Now and then, we need to take time out from our busy lives, and take a look at ourselves and examine ourselves before God. Many answers are given to us in the course of fellowship, but when you sit on your own reading the Bible and thinking about it in the absence of anyone with whom you can put our head together, the way you have been living your life is in full view before God. Of course, it is not good to just sit on your own reading the Bible all the time, but there are definitely times when you need to be able to lay yourself bare before God.
In the course of our lives, we clash with others and we are broken down, at times we are hurt in our hearts, and at other times we are happy; we go through many experiences, and many thoughts go through our minds. On the last day, having built up a store of such experiences, we will come to stand before God. We know this as an obvious fact, and yet we need to think about the way we have lived each day and all the many thoughts that have crossed our minds in the process, and ask ourselves if we have set all of this before God. Even though I may feel satisfied knowing the Bible and I have always tried to live in accordance with the Bible, when I open the Bible and sit quietly to read it, I ask myself if I am actually leading the life that the Bible asks of me. It is necessary for such thoughts to take hold of our lives, and each of us needs to take time to examine ourselves in this way.
When I need to travel between various countries on business, I am usually extremely busy and do not even get enough sleep. Then when I return home and I have time on my own to think, I consider how I should be living my life. When I had some free time, I thought a great deal about what should be in my heart before God as I live my life. When I am busy, I wish I could have just one good night’s sleep, but as soon as I return home and I can get some physical rest, I definitely cannot say I rest peacefully. Physically, I am comfortable, but various thoughts go through my head continuously. It occurred to me that God has shown us clearly how we are all to live together, but I was at a loss, wandering back and forth. Also, when I had some quiet time to take a look at myself and the way I was living, I could see that even though I appear to be busy and working with great enthusiasm, when I am alone before God I am really weak.
We need to consider what we think about the fellowship we have together. Many different kinds of work are being carried out within our fellowship. If you are living apart in a quiet place, a place where there are not many brothers and sisters, you only know about one small part of the many works that are being carried out, but that small part may seem very large to you.
Even though you may think, “I have always discussed matters and had fellowship with brothers and sisters and the words ‘love one another’ are firmly fixed in my mind,” the image of the way you are now lies open before God. You need to ask yourself whether the work you are doing and the plans you have are related to the aims of the larger fellowship in which we are living together. You need to think about where you are walking or running.
Love Believes All Things
Let me give you a concrete example. When you read the Bible, isn’t it because you think you ought to, so you read one or two chapters each day? Or when you, on your own, read many parts of the Bible you have come to understand in the course of living alongside the brothers and sisters, what about thinking, while opening up the Bible? Bringing things you have learned together while listening to sermons, talking about the Bible, and studying together back to your mind. Even if you spend time with many brothers and sisters and work together with them, you become to consider deep down in your heart whether you truly believe in this life that we lead together.
As First Corinthians chapter 13 talks about love, it says that love believes all things (see verse 7). There are people who have set First Corinthians chapter 13 to music, and they play it as a song with a guitar accompaniment. Yet, what was the reason and ultimate aim that the apostle Paul had when he wrote these words? Amongst the words he wrote down having been moved by the Holy Spirit, he talked about love, saying that it “believes all things.” 
When we gather together and discuss things, we tend to be caught up in what is going on and not think particularly deeply about whether we are judging others; we just say things without thinking. When you are angry, you may curse and swear, and when you are happy, you may praise others. Yet, think about when you stand before God on your own with the Bible before you. If, in your heart, you truly have the faith to believe in the Bible, you need to think about whether you also have the faith to believe that the fellowship we have when we live our lives together is providing the foundation for your life and guiding your life.
The Bible says, “Love . . . believes all things,” but are you believing all things? Do you believe everything the Bible says? As you come to realize the truth of the gospel, you are given the power to be able to read the Bible. This comes about through the Holy Spirit. Being given
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