Families that love one another, believe in one another. Love is based on trust and confidence. So a loving family is a trusting family. They believe in each other.
My grandson and I often talk about the importance of always telling the truth if we want our relationship to remain strong. So one day he came to me and said, “Honest, Grandpa – I didn’t do it. I know it looks like I did, but I really didn’t.” Well, on the basis of our relationship of truth-telling, I was able to say to him, “I believe you. That’s O.K. Let’s forget about it.” Later it was discovered that another boy had broken the window. But the neighbor had put the blame on my grandson. Eventually things were set right, and apologies were made. But it was important in a time of trouble for my grandson to know that his grandfather believed in him.
In 1 Corinthians 13:7 there are four things that God says love always does, and the second thing is that love “believes all things.” When there is a relationship of love, people believe in one another.
The word “believe” here is the same Greek word pisteuei that is used for believing in Christ for salvation. It means “to have faith in, to be convinced of, to give credence to.” It’s a word of confidence and trust. “I believe you,” not only means “I trust what you say,” but also, “I have confidence in who you are.
For example, I have a personality trait that often wrestles with self-doubt and feelings and inferiority. I’ve had to learn to deal with that. Years ago my father, who was a wonderful man of God, said to me, “Dan I believe in you and I know God will use you if it’s in your heart to serve Him.” Well, I’ve always remembered that comment from my father. How encouraging it was for me to know that he believed in me. Love “believes all things.”
Now you know the real meaning of the word. Say! “I believe in you.” When is the last time you said that to people you love?