THE BEAUTIFUL COVER UP
I’ve had an earworm lately! Do you know what that is? It’s really a catchy tune that gets stuck in your mind and plays over and over. My earworm is a bit different. I have a verse that is playing on an earworm loop in my head. And I know God is speaking. When God repeats something over and over again that means it is important and we need to listen!
I’ve been thinking a lot about a verse from 1 Peter. It literally pervades my mind! And I find myself saying it over and over as I go about my day.
ABOVE ALL, LOVE EACH OVER DEEPLY, FOR LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS.
1 Peter 4:8
And because it seems to be stuck in my mind, earworm style, I’ve had lots of time to ponder on what it means and how I should work this little verse out in my life.
God tells us through David to…
HIDE YOUR WORD (God’s Word) IN MY HEART SO I MAY NOT SIN AGAINST YOU, Ps 119:11.
And 1 Peter 4:8 has bubbled up from my soul into my head. It has been hidden in my heart for such a time as this.
Love is the heartbeat and song of an authentic Christian! Or at least it should be.
We are marked out from everyone in the world by our love for others.
Ephesians 4:2-3 tells us to…
WALK IN THE MANNER WORTHY OF THE CALLING WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED.
And we have been called to love. It continues…
SHOWING FORBEARANCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.
And Jesus said..
THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER, JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.
This love is no ordinary thing. This is a very special love. In Greek, it is the word Agape. It denotes a selfless love. A sacrificial love. A love that is for the good of others even to the point of denying ourselves. The word literally means to “prefer”. In other words to prefer others.
The love in the bible is not attainable by human means. We do not have the capacity to be that selfless! However, it flows from true Christians by the power of God alone!
So what does LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SIN mean?
Years ago, I sang in our church’s Christmas Cantata. Right before the service began I ran to the bathroom. When I returned to the choir room we were lining up to go into the church. So I got in in line and the the lady who stood next to me came up so so close behind me she was literally draping herself on me.
I turned around surprised and a taddy bit annoyed and she whispered in my ear, “Yvonne, you tucked your skirt into your pantyhose”!!!!!! She literally was covering my butt! We laughed so hard but very quietly together!
I have not thought of this embarrassing story for decades! But along with LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS this story came to mind as well. LOVE covers other’s butts, to be blunt!
It is our human nature to want to gossip or say unkind things about those who hurt us. Or pass on tales that are unbecoming but true about another.
It is the work of Christ in our lives that trumps and has victory over our human nature! We can, through the power of the Holy Spirit, cover the sins of others by not speaking them to anyone. And forgiving any hurt others have caused us.
I love the idea of “covering”. In this verse, it means to hide or to dig a hole and put something in it. The Greek word for cover has the idea of keeping something secret. We cannot forgive the sins of others. Only Jesus can do that. But we can protect someone’s character when it would be so easy to do it harm. We can cover their butt!
We are to love others enough to keep their character intact even when they mess up! This ties into something Jesus said as He was teaching…
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF Mark 12:31
My mind like a computer has been “cross-referencing” so many verses that support the idea to cover another’s foibles…
HATRED STIRS UP CONFLICT BUT LOVE COVERS ALL WRONGS Pro 10:12
SET A GUARD, O LORD, OVER MY MOUTH; KEEP WATCH OVER THE DOORS OF MY LIPS. PS 141:3
OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS Luke 6:45
Yes, this scripture earworm has been playing for a few week’s now and I know God is speaking to me!!!!
The next time someone’s butt is showing, Lord let me be filled with Your love and cover it! Amen!
Yvonne…Enjoyed your StoneGable Newsletter today..!!
Here is my earworm and I thank God that I have it in my head to comfort and guide me..!!
I John 4 7-8……..7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.
God Bless YOU..!!
Thank you for sharing your earworm! So beautiful and true!
This was THE MESSAGE I needed today! God bless you and thank you so much!
Thank you for putting this “ear worm” in my thoughts.Always I try to listen to hear God’s voice in my heart and mind. Today, I will be especially alert and tuned in. Much love to you for your voice.
Marilynn
God bless you, Marilynn! And my He fill you with His love so you can splash it on others!
What a beautiful lesson for today, your words have blessed me. About a year ago the words started ringing in my ears, “what the world needs now is love, sweet love”, had to look up the lyrics and now it’s my song.
Amen , very well said. Praise the Lord for His word
Amen!
“We are to love others enough to keep their character intact even when they mess up! ”
This spoke to me. Thank you.
So glad! It’s really what “love covers a multitude of sins means”. Have a blessed day, Mary!
Thanks for the collection of verses. Many have been on my mind too with the heart and action challenge for self examination
That was excellent! Thank you for sharing. That practical expression of loving others and covering for them is so important. I needed that reminder. Blessings to you!
Blessings to you to Althea!
OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS Luke 6:45!!!
So we have to fill our hearts with good feelings and and positive thoughts about others, which would be a way of “covering” them when they do not behave well. And it will have to include our prayers for them. There is a saying in Spanish that would be something like this, “If you cannot say anything good and nice about others, then don’t say a word.
Thanks once more. You are helping lots of people think of God and guide them to try and be a bit better day after day.
Have a fantastic week. Huge hug for you and yours,
Charo
Hi Charo, you said so many good things here. We have that saying too! And you are so right about prayer! When we are fervently praying for someone it’s hard to say bad things!
Thank you for these verses today. Just this week, I revealed something about a family member to a friend that I should have kept private. Once words are spoken they can’t be unsaid. I really needed these messages to remind me to do better. “We are to love others enough to keep their character intact”. So well said. Thank you
Hi Diana, words are like toothpaste, they can’t go back in the tube! Thank you for your honesty.
Many thanks for this much needed reminder, Yvonne. This is how we are known, by our love for one another.
Yes, you are so right!
Wonderful teaching today, Yvonne! Thank you! We need to try to ‘out-do’ each other in love! By God’s grace alone!
Hi my dear friend! You certainly show me so much of the love of God!