When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish
things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but
then face to face. Now I know in part,
but then I shall know just as I also am known. - 1 Corinthians
13:11-12 (NKJV)
These verses are hard to understand fully. If I read the whole chapter 13 of 1
Corinthians, the first 8 verses and verse 13 all talk about love and how it is
more important to have love over all else.
Yet these 3 1/2 verses between 8 and 13 all talk about things being
partial, incomplete, and not clear, but will become full, complete, and clear
when we are face-to-face with God. I am
having trouble putting the two together.
Dungy comments on these verses, "One day you will stand before the Hope of the world and see things
clearly. But you don't have to wait to
ask for His clarity on matters you are dealing with now. He is accessible." This is a very hopeful commentary.
I do find that I ask "Why" a lot these days. "Why did I have to endure this or that
while I was young?" "Why did
this have to happen?" "Why was
I made this way?" "Why .... (fill-in-the-blank)?" I guess one day I'll see things clearly when
I meet Jesus, but something tells me I won't even care then as I'll have left
this world behind. I suppose that I can approach
Jesus today, as Dungy suggests, with these questions. But then, I sort of don't know if I want to
know the answers. I think most of the
answers have to do with my absence of courage, my inability to overcome myself,
my lack of understanding, my lack of belief and strength in faith, and other
lacks and failures within myself I haven't even thought of yet.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It does not dishonor others,
it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of
wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth. It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
May this God cover me today.
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