What Gives You Joy?

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:6

Love…does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth…

Over the years I have heard far too many conversion testimonies where the person speaking about his past wickedness seems to do so with a slight bit of glee. Not that they outright laugh about it. That would be too gross. Instead, they seem to revel in the glory of their gory past. They exude a sense of pride that they were as bad as they were. What one would expect, a sense of grief and sorrow over their sin, seems to be absent.

Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing.

I have noticed that when someone has a moral or spiritual failure and lies in the ashes of a ruined life, there will be who, for whatever reason, have been at odds with that person and will take the opportunity to exude a sense of “he had it coming” in response.

Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing.

Rejoicing with the truth is not exactly the opposite of rejoicing at wrongdoing. The opposite of rejoicing at wrongdoing is not rejoicing at wrongdoing. It is not a different response that is in view. It is a different heart. The heart of love – Christ’s love – rejoices in God and good.

May we have God’s grace in this too.