Love Covers
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12 (New International Version, NIV)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8 (New International Version, NIV)
Love covers all wrongs. When someone comes against you in hatred and strife, don’t respond the same way. Instead, respond in love. Romans 12:21 tells us to overcome evil with good. Whether someone is nice or not, we are commanded to cover them, responding in love. In this way, they will be shown God’s love towards them, and then it’s up to them what they do with it.
When someone does something wrong or hurts us, don’t go and tell others about it. Let love cover it. However, if they keep doing wrong, especially if they are a believer, it is wise to bring them before the church leadership to keep them from continuing to hurt others. And it gives them opportunity to repent. But first of all, seek to cover them with love through prayer.
According to I Corinthians 13:7, love bears all things. Bear in the Greek means to cover, protect and shield. We are to bear, cover, protect and shield one another with love. In the New Living Translation, Proverbs 10:12 says love makes up for all offenses. Love seeks to restore someone who has sinned against you. As we cover, protect and shield someone who has sinned against us, we are expressing God’s love to encourage them to get right.
As we cover people, it may soften their hearts, turning them from a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. They may even apologize and make things right. And even if they don’t, you have been a true representative of Jesus to them, allowing them to experience love in action. When we don’t cover people with love, we only make matters worse.
While it is difficult to cover someone who has hurt us, we must remember Jesus’ example. He covers us with His blood, sacrifice, prayers, and love. And He wants us to cover others.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. I John 4:7-8 (KJV)
