Word of the Day is Tolerance

By Jena Kleinpeter

Ps 5:4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.

Remember when you were a child, and you did something you regretted? Perhaps something broke and Mom asked, “What happened?”  You made up a scenario of what happened, but knew it was a lie.  Were you upset by the accident or by the lie? You really didn’t understand about consequences but soon learned. As a teenager, being caught doing something wrong was probably humiliating, but is it the humiliation or the consequence that bother us the most?  Finally, with maturity, we understand the wrong we do hurts others.

As a parent, the cycle starts again. Your child does something wrong. How bad did you feel for your child? Horrible? Multiply how you felt by billions, and that is how God feels every time one of his children commits a sin.

I started my married life as a stepparent. Many times, when a conflict arose, we sat down and tried to explain there were things we could not allow. Helping a child understand we can love them but dislike what they were doing was difficult but important. That is how I see God’s love for us. He hates the sin in us but loves us.

Sin affects everyone in our life negatively. Why do we tolerate sin if God does not? Christians should strive to be more tolerant of people but less tolerant of sin. Pray that God breaks the negative cycle, forgives us of our sins and heals our country.

Visit https://jenakleinpeter.com/ for more devotions in Psalms.

Response

  1. Ze Selassie Avatar

    Teena, thank you for sharing this.

    Jena, this is a thoughtful reflection on the tension between love and holiness. One thing that stands out is the distinction you draw between loving the person while refusing to tolerate the wrongdoing. That mirrors the character of God throughout Scripture; His love for humanity is constant, yet His nature cannot embrace what destroys the people He loves. In that sense, God’s intolerance of sin is not harshness but protection, much like a parent refusing to allow a child to continue in something harmful.

    Your point about maturity is also important. As children, we fear consequences, but as we grow, we begin to understand that wrongdoing damages relationships with others and with God. Scripture repeatedly shows that sin is not merely rule-breaking; it is relational harm.

    At the same time, the gospel reminds us that God’s response to sin is not only judgment but restoration. Christ enters the human story precisely because none of us has the power to remove sin on our own. Grace does not mean tolerating sin, but transforming the sinner.

    So perhaps the challenge you raise is well framed: Christians must hold two truths together at once: deep compassion for people and deep honesty about what harms them. When love and truth walk together, healing becomes possible.

    Thank you for inviting readers to reflect on that balance.

    Blessings,
    Ze Selassie

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