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Knowledge and Depth of Insight

             And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (Philippians 1:9-10)

          Let’s suppose (and keep it simple) that someone who claims to love you bought you a present in a color you hate. The next gift was a piece of equipment for a sport/hobby in which you have no interest (and neither does the giver.) And what would happen if the lover continued to do this sort of thing even after being corrected? I’m not talking about a problem with his/her memory over which he/she has no control. It’s that the person just doesn’t bother to learn your interests. This is at a surface level. Suppose the person was a serial cheater or otherwise regularly violated your moral code and didn’t care that it bothers you. Would you still claim the person loved you?

          Or, do you believe that if someone loves you, they’ll take the time to at least try to please you or work in your best interests? Would you say that person actually loves you? Would you hope that over time, their love would grow and that they would gain knowledge and depth of insight about you?

          Once again, there’s nothing magical about Paul’s prayer, and it seems to me to be directly connected with Proverbs 29:26. Without the revelation, we are unrestrained – showing no consideration for God or one another. Love is not only deepened by knowledge and depth of insight, but it is expressed as a result of the knowledge and depth of insight. Again, Paul isn’t talking about anything that is unusual in a relationship.

          And the revelation that results in the knowledge and depth of insight? It’s not something we must guess at. What would it be like if someone you love had given you a book of stories about his/her life, and listed and explained what they like and don’t like? That’s what the Bible is. How considerate of Him.

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