Love Does Not Delight in Evil, but....

Good Christian folks don’t delight in evil.  This is an easy one, right?

Or maybe not so much.

Of course we don’t delight in things that the world calls evil, but hopefully that is a given.  But maybe there are things that are more subtly evil that we can catch ourselves delighting in.

Have you ever met someone who almost seems gleeful when someone else fails?  Know someone who is thrilled to start a Facebook conversation that results in furious anger between two opposing sides of an issue?  Known someone who you felt “got what they deserved” when something bad happened to them?

That may be the kind of “delighting in evil” that Paul was pointing out to us is not love.

The contrast to delighting in evil is rejoicing in the truth.  There are so many verses in Scripture that tell us the truth about who we are.  I encourage you to rejoice in these things today.  If we are busy rejoicing with the truth, there’s no time left to delight in evil! 

Say these things... out loud even!

I am God's child.  (Galatians 3:26)

I am Jesus' friend  (John 15:15)

I am a whole new person with a whole new life.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am a place where God's Spirit lives.  (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am God's Incredible work of art. (Ephesians 2:10)

I am totally and completely forgiven.  (1 John 1:9)

I am created In God's likeness.  (Ephesians 4:24)

I am spiritually alive.  (Ephesians 2:5)

I am a citizen of Heaven.  (Philippians 3:20)

I am God's messenger to the world.  (Acts 1:8)

I am God's disciple-maker.  (Matthew 28:19)

I am the salt of the earth.  (Matthew 5:13)

I am the light of the world.  (Matthew 5:14)

I am greatly loved. (Romans 5:8)