Beareth

Turn your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Before we left on our trip, I I kind of took the last four characteristics of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and combined them into one message. And as soon as I was done, I thought that was a mistake. There's just so much in those four words that we want to develop out. So, I decided now that I'm back, we're going to go ahead and go back to 1 Corinthians 13 and finish up those last words there. And so if you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter verses 4-8, the Bible says, "Charity or love suffereth long and is kind.

Charity envieth not. Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinkketh no evil, rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeeth all things, endureth all things, charity or love never faileth. And so we're going to look at that, those last phrases there in verse number seven. And we're going to begin with the phrase that love beareth all things and talk about what that means to love bear all things. I thought especially be appropriate here at Mother's Day where our mothers are known for their love as well and they have to bear a lot with you and I.

And so what does it mean that love beareth all things? When you hear that word bear, uh the first thing I think of is a bear. In proverbs 17:12, it says, "Let a bear robbed of her welps meet a man rather than a fool in his folly." And what I want to encourage you is don't be that 500 lb bear. You know, the one that uh just everybody in the in your relationship with you is waiting for you to just get up and roar like a bear separated from his cubs. Uh you know what I'm talking about. Some people are like that where you just waiting for your wife or you're waiting for your husband or waiting for your mom or dad or your children or some other person in that relationship.

It just like they're that 500 lb bear and any little thing can set them off and it's like roar and they're upset again. And and you don't want to be that person. You want to bear all things and and so love is like having a teddy bear and and and you know when you had a teddy bear when you were little. Uh love is like that teddy bear. In Proverbs chapter 18 and verse number 24 it says a man that hath friends but show him so friendly. And there is a friend that stickketh closer than a brother. And probably the closest you friend might friend you might have had growing up was your teddy bear. Uh that was uh your good friend.

How many of you had a teddy bear growing up? Raise your hand. How many had a teddy bear growing up? And how many has still have a teddy bear at home right now? Uh, as well, but you know, uh, that teddy bear, it was always there for you. And, and that's what love beareth all things is you're always there for the other person. In Proverbs chapter 17 and verse number 17, it says, "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." And you know that teddy bear, no matter what was going on in your life, no matter what was wrong, no matter what had happened, uh you could talk to that teddy bear, that teddy bear would listen and would just be there for you.

And and that's what it love means that love beareth all things. That love is going to bear whatever burden you have. And love is going to be there at all times. Whenever you need that that person needs you, you're going to be there for them. And it doesn't matter what you say. It doesn't matter what you do. It's unconditional love. You know, my teddy bear loved me no matter what. Uh there was no there was nothing I could do to stop my teddy bear from loving me. And that's the kind of love we ought to have for one another is an unconditional love. If if you'll uh turn over to Galatians 5, Galatians chapter 5, and look at verses 13- 15.

Galatians chapter 5 and beginning with verse number 13 down through verse number 15. Galatians 5:13. For brethren, you have been called unto liberty. Only use not your liberty for an occasion of flesh. But by love serve one another. For all the love is fulfilled in one word. Even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. You see, it's the kind of love that is going to to be there no matter what. It's the kind of love that's not going to uh lash out at the other person, is going to accept them for who they are and love them even with with their faults.

And it's an unconditional love. No matter what the other person says or does, I'm going to love you because I'm committed to that love for you to bear all things. But this love is also like a honey bear. You know what I'm talking about with a honey bear. You know the you got uh they they love honey. And um and and the Bible tells us in Matthew chapter 3 and verse number four, and the same John has had his raignment of camels hair and a leather girdle of about his loins. and his meat was locust and wild honey. You know, John the Baptist um he was out there uh serving the Lord and and when he was doing that, God called him to a unique life where he had to live in kind of a a unique situation.

And the only thing he ate was honey and locust. And uh I don't know how many of you like honey. You like honey? Uh and and it's a good thing. Sam, you like honey? Uh so you you'd like to be like John the Baptist, right? A good example. And so why don't you come on up here? Uh but but instead of the honey, uh I've got for you the locust. All right. I've got some dried grasshoppers here. Sam, you ever had a dried grasshopper before? I've had grasshopper cookies. A grasshopper cookies. So you you know what they're like there. So I'm going to give you one to try out here. Here you are. There's a grasshopper there for you.

Just like No. Oh. Oh, you you dropped it. Oh, that's right. I've got another one here, Sam. All right. Here you go. All right, Sam. So, show them how you're like John the Baptist and you can eat one of those locusts there. All right. How is it, Sam? No, actually, it just kind of tastes like grass, I guess. Okay, you can have a seat there. You know, John the Baptist was out there in the wilderness. God had called him to a ministry and he was willing to bear eating things like locust and honey and that was his diet. you know, he was willing to do that for the Lord. And I wonder, what are you willing to do out of your love for God and your love for others?

You know, sometimes in a relationship that God puts you in, whether it's a marriage relationship or a family relationship or a friendship or a church or wherever it might be, sometimes you have to put up with some things with other people. And sometimes it's not something that you would choose to do. I I don't think most of you here say, "Yeah, I want to eat some grasshoppers." But God calls us to bear some things. And and we've got to be willing to bear some things. And sometimes uh you've got to do that without feeling the stings. You know, bears, they like honey. And one of the reasons they can get up there in that honey and get the honey is because they don't feel the beastings.

Their fur is so thick and their skin is so thick, they don't feel the beastings like you and I would. And and the Bible says in Psalms chapter 119 verse 165, "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." You see, some people when they get stung by a bee, they react pretty badly. And uh a lot of a lot of us when we get stung by somebody else that are in our relationship, when they say something or do something that hurts us, we we react to that. And sometimes we even overreact to that. and and and when love bears all things, we don't react to the stings of others. We don't react to the things that they do.

Um but we continue to love them despite that. And uh you know, you've all turn over to Proverbs chapter 27. Proverbs chapter 27. You've all heard the statement, excuse me, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine to go down. Well, a spoonful of honey can do that same thing. in in Proverbs chapter 27. Right before the service, I got a little bit of cough left over from my cold I had on our trip. And right before the service, uh uh Mrs. Ain gave me some uh honey drops uh cough drops. And boy, those have really helped my throat. Uh they've helped make it better. And in Psalms 27 and:es 5-7, it says, "Open rebuke is better than secret love.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. the full soul loath the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. You see, when love beareth all things, that doesn't mean we just put up with all things and don't talk about them, but we do it in a loving and a kind way. We do it in a way that adds a little bit of honey to the situation and say, "Listen, there's there's a problem, but I want to talk to you about that problem in love." not come back and rebuke and and uh and and and return for the evil they gave you, but it's is bearing with other people.

It's not feeling the stings. It's not taking offense, but it's be willing to love them and uh and to sh and even to talk to them about the situation, but to do it in love as well. Look at Psalms chapter 55 if you would please. Psalms chapter 55. You know, it's the stings of our friends that hurt the most, are they not? You know, when somebody that's not your friend says something or does something, you can kind of just like, well, that's not my friend. But when somebody that's a close friend hurts you, that's when it's hard to bear it. And in Psalms chapter 55, David's talking about a friend of his in verse number 12.

Psalms chapter 55 beginning with verse number 12. He says, "For it was not an enemy that reproached me. Then I could have borne it. Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me. Then I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou, oh man, mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance." We took quite counsel together, walked in the house of God and company. Let dusties upon him, and let them go down quicken to hell, for wickedness in their dwelling amongst him. David said, "Listen, I I could have taken it if the enemy had attacked me and it hurt me. But this was my friend.

This was the person I went to church with. This is the one I fellowship with. This is was my mentor and my guide. And yet he hurt me." You know, and sometimes in life, the people that you love the most and and are supposed to love you, your your spouse or your parents or your children or or some other person that you've got a bond in a friendship with does or says something that hurts and it stings. And those are the ones that we have to continue to love, to bear all things, to be willing to say, you know what? Because I love you, I'm not going to let that affect our relationship. Because I love you, I'm going to talk to you about this situation, but I'm going to talk to you in the way of love, not in anger and hurt.

You see in Ephesians chapter 4 and:1 15 the Bible says but speaking the truth in love may grow up in him and all things was ahead of even Christ. And so when love beareth all things it just doesn't tolerate to say well it's okay you can do whatever you want to but it does say listen I'm not going to let this bother me and I'm not going to let this sting and and I'm going to be there for that person even though they're not perfect and even though they they do things that are wrong. I I'm going to bear with them and and and I'm going to if there is a problem, if I if I need to approach him about it, I'm going to do it in a way that is loving and kind, not in a way that is hurtful and stings back.

You see, we need to be sweet as honey. In Psalms chapter 19 and verse number 10, it says, "More to be desired are they than gold, yay, than much fine gold, and sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." I wonder what kind of words come out of your mouth in your relationship with others. In Psalms 19 and verse 14, it ays, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation my heart be acceptable in my sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer." In Psalms, in Proverbs 16:24, it says, "Please words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones." And so when we bear all things, it means that we bear the the the things in the other person, the the the the the things that they do wrong, the things that they do to hurt us.

We we bear with it. You know, my wife and I have been married for 48 years, and and she's had to bear with some things for 48 years in our relationship. and and is willing to bear with them and and and and not to respond evil for evil, but to respond with with honey, to respond with love and and and bearing them with love. In Psalm 1 and verse number two, it says, "But as light is in the law of the Lord, his law that they meditate day and night." You see, what comes out of your mouth is determined by what goes into your heart. In Psalms 119:97 it says, "Oh, how I love thy law is my meditation all the day."

How how many of you here like honey? You like honey, right? And uh you know what honey is really basically when you when you come down to it, honey is just basically bee on it. Uh, the bee goes around to all the flowers and gathers up all that nectar and uh takes it into a a special stomach and and digests it and then it gets back to the hive and it goes and vomits it all into the honeycomb and then somebody goes and harvests that honeycomb, puts it in a jar and sells it to you and you're eating bee vomit. Doesn't that doesn't that sound delightful? You know, but what comes out of you is what comes in you.

And if your the words that are coming out are stingful and hurtful and and painful, then maybe it's because you're not putting into you the right things. And when it's the word of God that goes into your heart, then what's going to come out is to bear all things and and come out in not in retaliation and not being hurting them back, but say, "Listen, I love this person, and I'm willing to bear with this thing in their life, and I'm willing to love them despite that, and I'm not going to come back and sting them and hurt them, but I'm going to come lovingly to try to resolve this issue so that we can continue in fellowship and love with one another."

Somebody once said this, "Keep your words sweet because you never know when you might have to eat them." And that's love beareth all things. Keeping our words sweet and knowing that yes, in our relationship, no matter what it is, there are things that you're going to have to put up with. There are things you're going to have to bear with and sometimes for a lifetime. But yet, we continue to love that person. not returning evil for evil, but good for good. Bearing with them. The word bear can also be spelled B A R E. Go over to Genesis chapter 9 if you would. Genesis chapter 9. We looked at this a little bit in that last sermon I preached before I left.

And and I want to go back to it again in Genesis chapter 9. Many of you know the story in verses 20- 23. Genesis chapter 9 and beginning with verse number 20. This is after the flood, of course, and and uh now they're beginning to rebuild their lives, Noah and his sons. And and it says in verse 20, "And Noah began to be a husbandman or a farmer, and he planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine and was drunk and he was uncovered within his tent." Now, we don't know if Noah deliberately got drunk or if Noah maybe before the flood, uh you didn't have alcohol like he did afterwards or whatever. We don't know exactly what happened, but somehow or another, Noah got drunk and uh he said it was he was uncovered in his tent.

In verse 22, and Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his younger son had done unto him. You say, "Well, where where's the problem here?" Well, the the word beareth here in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the word love beareth all things, it's a word which means to roof over or to cover with silence. To roof over, to cover with silence.

So, the idea of covering something with a roof or a tarp or something like that to cover over it. And and love it, what love does when it bears all things is it covers it from yourself. It covers it from yourself. Instead of focusing on the problem of the other person, we we cover that over and look at the good of that person. In 1 Peter 4 and verse 8, it says, "And above all things, have fervent charity or love among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." And so, in our relationships, when love beareth all things, it chooses not to focus on what's bad, but it chooses to focus on what's good.

It says, "I'm not going to let the bad in this relationship steal away the good in the relationship." The the root word of the word beareth is the word klepto. And you know that word, kleptomaniac. Some of you know that when we were on our trip in Europe, I had my iPhone stolen. Uh we had been sent to the wrong train station and we were rushed to get to the other train station to catch our train and and uh somewhere in that rush somebody reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone and stole it. And uh you know cuz I had not covered the rest of the trip. I was very careful to keep my hand on my phone.

I was very careful to keep it tethered in and make sure that it couldn't be stolen. But in that moment I I let down my guard and that phone was stolen. And so what happens so often in our relationships is we allow these things that that the other person does or doesn't do and the problems we allow those to steal away our love because what do we do? We focus on well he never cleans up after himself. Ah she never has dinner ready on time. You know my parents did this and my kids and we focus on the bad in the person rather than on the good. And the Bible says listen f cover that sin. Don't focus on doesn't mean it's okay.

It doesn't mean they should keep doing it, but don't focus on that part of the relationship, but focus on what's good in the relationship. I read about a lady who for years had complained about her husband leaving his socks laying on the floor every night. She'd have to pick them up, put in laundry, and then her husband passed away. And she told a friend of hers, she said, "I would give anything to see those socks on the floor again." She said, "I complained about it every day, day after day after day, and he never changed, and I just made it such an issue, and I'm so ashamed of that, and I would give anything to see his socks on the floor again."

You see, I'm not saying it's okay to leave your socks on the floor. And I'm saying that you as men, if that's what you do, you ought to take time to pick them up and put them away. You ought to you ought to help your wife out there. Not even not just pick them up off the floor, but turn them right side out. And I'm learning that after 48 years, too. You know, turn them right side out before you put them in the laundry. And uh uh that's a good thing to do. And uh and those are things that we should work on changing. But we so often we focus on these little things that really in the reality of it don't matter.

And we don't focus on what's good in the relationship. And once her husband was gone, she realized there was so many things I did not focus on because I was so focused on the negative. And that's what we have to be careful of. Don't focus on the sin. In Genesis chapter 9 and verse 22, it says, "A Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father." That word saw, it means he didn't stop looking at. He kept thinking about it. He dwelled on it. And you know, sometimes we can't help but see something that's bad. But whether we're going to choose to dwell on that and focus on that or whether we're going to choose to focus on the good Ham could have s thought, you know, my father's, you know, messed up right now, but you know, he's a good man.

He loves God. He brought us through the flood. He could have focused on all the good things about his dad, but instead of doing that, he focused on what was bad. And so often we focus on the bad instead of focusing on the good. And then he went out and told his two brethren. And that's part of the problem. When love beareth all things, it covers over the sin. It doesn't share it with everybody. You know what my husband does, you know, my wife does, you know, my you know, it doesn't share it with everybody. And and the Bible talks about Matthew 18:15, "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.

If he shall hear thee, thou has gained thy brother." You see, instead of going to everybody else, go to that person and resolve the issue. But don't make it a a matter of gossip and and and sharing about them all over the place. Don't be a tail bearer. In Proverbsap 11 and verse number 13, it says, "A tail bearer reveal his secrets, but he that is a faithful spirit concealth the matter." I'm thankful that my wife doesn't share all my secrets with everybody else. You see, that's between her and I. And we got to be careful. So often we have a problem with somebody. What's the first thing we do? We go said, "You know what they did?

That's the first thing we do. And that's not what God would have us to do. He would have us cover the sin and and bear with it. Now, there is a time to seek counsel. In Proverbsap 11:14, it says, "Where there where no counsel is, the people fall, but in a multitude of counselors, there is safety." In verse 13, it says, "Don't be a tail bearer." But in verse 14, it says, "But get counsel." And and there is a difference, by the way. See, if you're going to tell somebody because you're looking for someone to complain to, that's not counsel. A lot of times people will say, "Pastor, can I get counsel from you?"

And they come in my office and what they really want to do is, "Can I complain to you? Can I complain about my husband? Can I complain about my wife? Can I complain about my children? Can I complain about somebody else?" And and that's that's not counsel. And when you're going somebody just to complain about somebody else, that's not counsel. Counsel is when you're looking for help. You're going to somebody because you believe that person can help you to work through that situation. And by the way, Pastor Anger, the pastor I worked under for so many years, had a great saying. He said, "If you're not part of the problem, if you're not part of the solution, then don't be part of the problem."

You know, when you're not part of the solution, some comes to you, if you can't help them, send them to somebody who can. But don't be a tail bear. Beareth all things. And so love beareth all things. And and it covers it from itself, and it also covers it from others. In Proverbs 10:12, it says, "Hatred stirth up stripes, but love coverth all things." Now, the one person we should not cover from is God. In Matthew 5 and verse 44, it says, "But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."

You see, folks, most of the time when we're having a problem with somebody that's not our enemy, it's the person we're close to. It's our wife. My wife is not my enemy. I am not her enemy. Your parents are not the enemy. Your children are not the enemy. The people in this church are not the enemy. And if God says to pray for your enemy, how much more should you pray for that person you love? Instead of complaining, instead of griping, instead of going gossiping about them, why don't you talk to the Lord about them? You see, every time they do it, and when love beareth all things, you're bearing with things that they usually are doing over and over and over again, like that husband with the socks.

And what that lady could have done is every time those socks were on the floor, she could have gone and picked up the socks and prayed for her husband before she put them in the hamper. or maybe put them in a hamper first if they stunk bad. But uh you know, she could have prayed for him. And every time they do it, whatever it is, look at it as an opportunity to pray for that person. Go to James chapter 5, the book of James 5, and look at verses 15 and 16. James chapter 5 15 and 16. The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up. And if you committ his sins that they should be forgiven him.

Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availth much. See, when you're having a problem with someone you love, the best thing you could do is pray for them. Well, pastor, I need to tell them all the things they're doing wrong. Listen, I found this. If somebody won't listen to God, they aren't going to listen to me. Sometimes I think I can get people to listen when God can't to get them to listen. And and I figure God can do a better time. And here's another thing I've learned over the years. God can't speak to I can't hear God when I'm arguing with somebody else.

If I'm if I'm over there arguing with my wife, then how can God how can she hear God speak to her if she's arguing with me? And and so the best thing you can do is to stop arguing and stop complaining and start talking to God about it because if God can't change them, then you just better learn how to bear with it. But you'll find that they'll change more when you're talking to the Lord. In James 5 1920, it says, "Brethren, if any man do of you do heir from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which converted the sinner from the heir of his way shall save his soul from death, shall hide a multitude of sins."

Again, I'm not saying you shouldn't talk to that person about it. I'm not saying it's not right to go to them and and lovingly share that there's a problem. That wife should have gone to the husband and said, "Listen, when you put those socks in the floor, it just it just breaks my it bothers me every time and and I wish you would just take time to put them in the laundry and that would make such a difference and and I would I would be so blessed by that." There's a time to talk about it, but at the same time, we need to look to the Lord in that situation because either God's going to change that person or God's going to change you.

And sometimes God wants to change you before he changes them. Proverbs 17:9 says, "He that coverth the transgressor seeketh love, but he that repeatth the matter separate very friends." Again, you want to cover from others. You You don't want to go out and share it with everybody, but work it out between the two of you. So love beareth all things is like a bear. Don't be that big 500 lb bear everybody's waiting to blow up and explode but bear with others but also you need to learn to grin and bear it. In Galatians 6:1 and2 it says, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fall, you which are spiritual, restores what such one the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Bear you one's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." The word beareth not only means a a roof or a covering, but it also identifies the the support pillars. When we were in Europe, you go around and see all those big Corinthian pillars, you know, holding up the buildings and and and this is like that. It's the pillars that hold it up. And when you have a problem with somebody, usually if they're doing something, there's a problem in their life that's causing that. And what they need is they need you to help them. But it starts by considering yourself. Am I part of the problem? I have found that a lot of things that I have problems with my wife about are reactions to problems she has me about.

And if I fix my problem, it's going to fix her problem. And so I've got to consider myself. In Matthew 7:es 3-5, the Bible says, "And why beholdest thou the moat that is in thy brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out a moat out of thine eye, and behold the beam is in thine own eye?" Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly the cast to cast out the moat of the out of thy brother's eye. You see it's looking at yourself. So often we go to the other person confront them with a problem what do they do?

They immediately become defensive and they immediately say but you but how much different would it be if I approached the other person said listen there's a problem that I have and start with my own problem and then using that as an opportunity to to jump off and deal with the other problem as well together. You see it's honestly looking at myself considering myself. I talked about this in the sermon before I left. In Psalms 139:es 23 and 24, it says, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." See, before I go to confront somebody else with their problem, I need to say, "God, show me my part of this."

I have found that in every situation where I have a problem with somebody else and they have a problem with me, there's a percentage. It's never 100% one person. It's never completely the other person's fault. And sometimes it's more my fault than theirs because of what I'm doing is why what they're doing. And I have to be willing to take ownership of that percentage. Whether it's 10% or 50% or 90%. I need to take ownership of my percentage of causing this problem. And so often we're not willing to do that. Again, they are not the enemy. They're not the enemy. And God said to love your enemies, but this is your husband.

This is your wife. This is your parents or your children. This is a family. This is church members. These are people you're supposed to love. So, show your strength in their weakness. And when somebody has a problem, it's because they're weak in that area. And that's where God has called you to show your strength. In Romans 15:es 1 and 2, it says, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good edification." And so when you have a problem with somebody, stop and say, "How can I help them in this area of their life?

How can I encourage them and help them to deal with this? Instead of coming in like a big 500 lb bear growling and saying, "I don't like what you're doing." Why not come in there and say, "How can I help you to change? What can I do differently in this situation?" You know, I had that same problem. My socks, you know, I'm I'm kind of that kind of person that uh I I didn't always put my socks away when I took them off. And sometimes I'd leave them where they drop or sometimes I'd shoot them for the basket, you know, the laundry basket, but didn't always make them in there. And and wherever they landed, that was close enough.

And and and you know, my wife was upset about that, would kind of nag me about it a little bit. And finally one day she realized, well, what can I do to help you? And she sat down and said, "Listen, I I don't want to be mad at you about this, but every time I pick up those socks, it's irritating to me. It's frustrating because this is more work for me." And she began to share with me in a loving and kind way, here is why this hurts. Here's why this is a problem. Because to me, it was no big deal. It's just my socks. They're not heavy. You can just pick them up, put them in the laundry if I don't get them in there.

But to her, it was an irritation, a frustration. And she began to share with me that. And then we talked about how and I and I and I talked about, well, she said, "Well, what can I do to make it better?" I said, "Well, how about this?" Every time I put my socks in the laundry, you give me a kiss. And that worked pretty good. I kind of like that. Instead of yelling at me for not putting them there, just give me a kiss. And then we talked about, well, what happens if you don't put them in the laundry? I said, give me one of those looks, but in a kind way. And then when I put them in the laundry, give me the kiss.

You see, folks, it's finding that solution. How can we together? because I I have part of this issue. There's things that I can change. As we talked about that, I also shared with her, this is what irritates me. And we talked about that as well. But it wasn't a it wasn't an attack on each other like it normally is. Well, you do and you do and you do, but it was a a resolution working through it. Show your strength in their weakness. But also, we need to be willing to forebear. In Colossians 3 13-4, it says, "Forbearing one another and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Forbearing one another." That's the this idea, folks. If I so many of us think, well, if I treat them nice after what they did, they're going to think it's okay what they did. But, you know, I'm so thankful that God forebeared with me even while I was a sinner. Romans 5'8, but God commendeth or showed his love towards us that while we yet sinners, Christ died for us. See, bearing one another's burdens, bearing one another in love, that love beareth all things is being willing to forebear. To love that person despite their sin and to God commendeth or showed his love towards us.

You know, I'm so thankful that God's grace does not condone sin. In Romans 6:1 and2, it says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How should we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? God doesn't condone sin. Our sin is not okay. But God also did not condemn us because of our sins. He gave us grace. He gave us grace through Jesus Christ. For by grace are you saved through faith. Then not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works a man should boast. Ephesians 2:8:9. And God in his grace instead of saying, "Look at you're a sinner and and and condemning us," he said, "you're a sinner and I love you."

And he doesn't condone our sin. His grace does not condone our sin, but his grace is sufficient for our sin. And then verse 10 of that same passage, Ephesians 2:8:9, verse 10 says this, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God had before ordained that we should walk in them." And I'm so thankful that in Christ Jesus I can have grace from God. For by grace are you saved. See, it's not by our works. I don't deserve to go to heaven. My sin I deserve to go to hell. But God in his grace said, "I'm going to forbear and instead of condemning you, I'm going to commend my love towards you and send my son to die for you."

But you know what? You have to receive that grace. You have to receive Jesus Christ as your personal savior. I'm so thankful that Christ bare my sins upon the cross. 1 Peter chapter 2 24, he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin to live to righteousness. It's because he died for me, was buried and rose again that I can have the grace of God. I can have the forgiveness of God, that I can have that relationship with God. And because of his grace towards me, that's why I want to live a righteous life because he has shown grace. And that's the example that he gives to you and I.

And if you're here today, you've never trusted Christ as your savior. If you've never received that grace, that's what love is truly about. And one last thing as we close this message, and that is that some people are thinking, "Yeah, pastor, it's a great message, but you don't know what I'm putting up with. You don't know what I have to bear in my relationship." Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10:13, "There is no temptation taken you, but is common to men. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way escape that you may bear it."

When love beareth all things, this is not talking about the big problems that comes later when love endureth all things. And as I've said before, there are things that you don't have to put up with in a relationship. I call them the three A's and that's abuse and adultery and addiction. But even in those situations, we don't just condemn the other person and walk away. We say, "Listen, this has got to be resolved. This is not acceptable." And there are times where you have to separate as part of that process of loving them enough to say, "Listen, I'm going to walk away until you get this settled because we cannot have a relationship in that."

But really, this idea of love bearing all things is really the idea of putting up with the daily issues, the things that happen over and over and over again. The the the problems in that person's personality, the little things that they do that just keep adding up. And sometimes we just get that point, I can't put up with this anymore. But God says, I'm not going to give you anything that you cannot bear. And so don't tell me, well, you don't know my husband or you don't know what my wife does. You don't know what my It doesn't matter. God wants you to bear those things. Now, again, it's not tolerating. There's a time to lovingly talk to him about that. There's a time to say to make sure they understand how much this hurts and how much this is causing a problem and and you need to resolve it, but to do it in love, not in anger. to do it in a way that doesn't sting and hurt, but do in a way that says, "Listen, I love you and I want more out of our relationship. Love beareth all