Love Covers.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Have you ever disliked someone? Hated what they do? Thought they were awful, mean, hateful people who didn’t really deserve anything good or…anything at all? Have you ever talked about them and put them down behind their back because of their offensive and hurtful behavior? Lately I have been learning that there are mean people in the world; People who hurt us and hurt people around us…sometimes for no reason at all. I have to admit…I have talked about these people behind their backs; I have talked about their awful behavior and how they shouldn’t have any friends because of what they do or how they act. I have been selfish and blind. Because I have talked about these people out of anger, frustration, disgust, dislike, and every negative emotion and attitude you can think of…all in an attempt to make myself feel better and put them down lower. James 3:9-10 says “with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” We talked about this in our Youth Group one night and one of the kids talked about how Praise is an equivalent of Raising something up and how cursing is like tearing it down. With our mouths we raise God up…and tear His children down. How can we even reconcile that? Or justify it? We Can’t! I have been learning that even though the actions of other people suck, and they hurt us and the ones we love; they are still people…and at Bethany Bible College they are still our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and clearly…they themselves are hurting. ”Hurting people, hurt people”, and when we see a brother or sister in Christ tearing someone else down and hurting another brother or sister in Christ…we must ask ourselves “what is hurting them so much that they have to hurt others” and then we must pray for them and love them. Hate the sin, Love the sinner, because Love covers a multitude of sins. Please think about it the next time you talk about someone and ask yourself why you are talking about them and then talk to God about them.
Luke 6:27-36
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
”If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
