Lessons for Women from God's Word

A Wise Woman Lesson #9 Love (Part C)

In lesson eight, we learned that love behaves itself properly in all areas of life, that it seeks what is best for others rather than for itself, that it is not easily offended to the point that it will retaliate or take vengeance or act in some hateful way, and that it does not keep an account of the bad things that others have done. I trust that you are seeking the Lord to help you build new habits in your life in accordance with His Word.

Actions with love (continued from lesson 8)

Today we want to finish up our study of love in I Corinthians 13 by searching out verses six and seven. Verse six tells us two things about true love.

(A) Love "rejoiceth not in iniquity." Rejoice means "to be cheerful,to be calmly happy or well off, to be glad about something, to rejoice exceedingly." Iniquity is injustice; moral wrong; wrongfulness of character, life, or actions; unrighteousness of heart and life. A woman who shows sincere charity will be sorrowful about injustice done to others, rather than finding joy in another person's adversity. Neither will she be gleeful about opportunities to do wrong to others herself.

Proverbs 24:17,18 says, "rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him." But rather, as we see in part two of I Corinthians 13:6.... (see B below)

(B) "... but rejoiceth in the truth." A different Greek word for rejoice is used in this part of the verse. This particular word means "to sympathize in gladness, to congratulate, to rejoice with or together, to take part in another's joy." Instead of being joyful over another person's adversity, or being happy about doing wrong to others, we are to rejoice with others or congratulate them when they act according to truth.

Let us go now to verse seven of I Corinthians 13. This verse tells us four things about godly love.

(A) First of all, it says that charity "beareth all things." The root of "bear" has to do with putting a roof or covering over. It means "to cover with silence, endure patiently, to forbear, to suffer, to keep secret, hide, conceal, particularly the errors or faults of others." It also means "to bear up against or hold out against." Thus, if we truly love someone with a God-like love, we should seek to "put a roof over" that person's wrongs and faults, keeping them hidden from those outside, suffering joyfully and enduring patiently ALL things that our husbands may do to offend or hurt us, purposely or not. We should never broadcast to others the faults of our husbands or of anyone else.

In I Peter 4:8, we read, "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. "The word "cover" in this verse means to hide or hinder the knowledge of a thing.

(B) Charity also "believeth all things." Believe means "to have faith in someone, to think that what they say is true, to have confidence in them." Genuine love does not doubt or question the fidelity or faithfulness of another. A godly wife will not doubt the things that her husband tells her. She may not say, "I don't believe you," but she must be very careful that she does not show disbelief in her countenance or response. Her husband must know by her words and actions that she has faith and confidence in him in ALL things.

(C) Charity "hopeth all things." Hope means "to expect, confide, trust; to wait for with joy and full confidence." Our hope, of course, is in the Lord. As a godly woman, we can fully trust him to accomplish in our lives, and in the lives of our husbands, that which He has promised, if we will joyfully wait for Him. It is not our business to try to change our husbands and strive do the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Things are never made better by our interference with God's work and God's way. As we walk according to God's plan for a godly wife, then we can wait with joy and full confidence for God to do His work in His way and in His time. A good Bible study to do would be one on waiting. The word "wait" occurs many times in Scripture, particularly in the book of Psalms. Surely the Lord knows that we are an impatient people, and need many reminders to "wait" for the Lord to work. Abraham is a Biblical example of a man who "against hope believed in hope." (Romans 4:18) When it seemed like things were utterly hopeless, He still had complete confidence that God was able to perform all that He had promised.

Romans 5:3-5 says that we can glory, or rejoice, in our trials and tribulations because we know "....that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

Romans 12:12 tells us that we should rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue instant in prayer. If our hope is in God, and we are waiting patiently on Him, with joyful confidence, we will never have reason to be ashamed; and hoping in ALL things is necessary for God's love (that is, charity) to be shed abroad in our hearts. (D) Last of all, verse seven says that charity "endureth all things." The root of endure has the idea of staying under or remaining under, to not recede or flee or try to run away. It means "to undergo and bear trials, to have fortitude, to persevere, take patiently." The Lord is telling us here that we are to bear misfortunes, ill treatments, and trials bravely and calmly, holding fast to our faith in Christ. God will use these trying times in our lives for our good and for the good of others.

"And we know that all things work together for good...." (Romans 8:28) God says that ALL things work together for good, yes even the hard times, that we might be made more like our Saviour.

The apostle Peter, in I Peter 1:6,7, through the Holy Spirit, has told us that we can "greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

In chapter 1, verses 2 to 4, James says "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [i.e. trials]; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Conclusion

God's description of charity in I Corinthians 13 closes with these three words in verse eight: "Charity never faileth." To fail means "to drop away, be driven off one's course, to lose, or become inefficient." If we truly love others with the unselfish, other-centered love wherewith God has loved us, we won't lose hope and give up. We won't allow any circumstances or hardships to cause us to be driven off course or become ineffective in our Christian life. According to Webster, inefficient means "not producing the effect intended or desired," "habitually slack or remiss; effecting little or nothing." Remiss means "not careful or prompt in fulfilling ones duties; negligent, careless, lagging behind, not serious or not determined to do what is right and needful." What does this tell us? It tells us that, a woman who fails, is one who is lazy and not careful in her duties. She perhaps has a "don't care" attitude. She doesn't take her responsibilities seriously and hasn't purposed in her heart to do right no matter what. Or perhaps she has been driven off course, or given up trying, because of a negative response from her husband or those she is trying to serve. For some reason, she has become slack or lazy in her responsibilities, and therefore she accomplishes little or nothing and becomes useless.

However, God says that true love NEVER faileth. As Christian women, we never need allow ourselves to get off course and become useless to the Lord and ineffective in our witness and work for Him. Our work for Him, in this case, is to show benevolence to our husbands, and others, by never failing in our responsibilities toward them. And "never," as it is used in this Scripture, means "not even at any time," "never at all." May you be a woman who never fails to manifest charity, the love of God, toward ALL men, and especially toward your husband and those who are your closest family members, never at any time.

Applying the lesson: Think back on the characteristics of love that you have studied in these last three lessons. Make a list of those that you particularly need to see developed more fully in your life. Pray daily for the Lord's help in these areas.

Finish memorizing I Corinthians 13:4-7a

(All Scripture verses quoted from KJV)

written by Mrs. Y submitted by Sue C. by permission from Mrs. Y

About the Author

Having been raised in a God-fearing home on the mission field of Papua New Guinea, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour at an early age. My godly mother has taught me many precious things from the Bible, and I long to share some of these things with others.