Love

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8

•How many times does the word love appear in the Bible?

Depends.....if you count words like "adore" "affection" "devotion" "friend"...you'd find a lot more...but love itself, depending on translation 500 to over 700.

It's important and .... it's tricky....but it's ALWAYS commanded.

What is love? I only needed to look at a small portion of scripture that tells me what it is...what it isn't...what it does.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8

What it is:

•Patient
•Kind

What it isn't:

•Envious
•Boastful
•Proud
•Dishonoring
•Self-seeking
•Easily angered
•Recording wrongs
•Delighting in evil

What it does:

•Rejoices in truth
•ALWAYS Protects
•ALWAYS Trusts
•ALWAYS Hopes
•ALWAYS Perseveres
•NEVER Fails

This passage continues like this:

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."
1 Corinthians 13:1

Our child-like ways will eventually come to an end. Right? Or do they just morph into ugly adult behaviors? If you are a victim of ungodly adult behavior it can be very painful. It doesn't mean God isn't working in and through the pain but it's no less painful.

The Bible is literally littered with verses about behavior, how it affects others, how it destroys relationships, how insidious it is.

Here's one:

"A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4 AMP

The definition of perverse is deliberately behaving badly or improperly, despite knowing that your actions are likely to have bad consequences. An example of perverse is when you disobey your mother even as you know she is watching you disobey her direct order.

And... "Crushes the spirit" 😫

"The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?"
Proverbs 18:14

In really simple terms: WORDS HURT!! In child-like terms: ONCE THE TOOTHPASTE IS OUT OF THE TUBE YOU CANT PUT IT BACK IN!!

Remember the "GOLDEN RULE"? Yep, it's in the Bible!

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12

Remember Bambi?
What did Thumper's mom say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."

1 Thessalonians 4 says to "mind your own affairs". My mom's version closely mirrors this: "Mind your own business" and Lord help me if I did not.

2 Thessalonians 3 talks about busybodies and idleness. Don't be the former nor practice the latter.

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Proverbs 16:24

But...

"A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free."
Proverbs 19:5

If you've ever put furniture together you'll find the instructions will tell you what TO do and what NOT to do. For example: Start with step one....don't tighten all bolts until last......God's Word is an "instruction manual" for the Christ follower. It instructs you on the way you should go and the ways you should turn from.

This passage from Proverbs uses the word "hate". That's a very strong word but God is serious.....he seeks to show us and teach us that our behavior matters.

"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
Proverbs 6:16‭-‬19

What a gracious, merciful, loving, compassionate God! He tells us beforehand....we know what not to do and sadly, we know what happens when we do and even sadder sometimes we choose to do it anyway.....

And often times when we make the wrong choice the consequences of our actions hurt innocent people.

If you are the innocent person....the actions of others hurts! The innocent person becomes the "fallout" of sinful choices.

The "fallout" might have some advice that goes like this:

1. Don't spread lies.
2. Don't repeat lies (especially if you don't know whether they are actually lies or not).
3. Don't repeat lies to the person the lies are about.
4. If the "lies" have NOTHING to do with you...well, another momism ZIP IT!
5. Don't call out the person who the lies are about as if THEY are the liar. (This is how it

    feels to the innocent person trying to defend the lie as if they have to.)

In all of this love is not the motive.

And one last bit of wisdom:

6. Don't tell someone else's story!! You've got your own!!

It hurts!! I can't say it enough!!

So I was praying this morning.... because I also know what God's Word says about forgiveness and reconciliation...... I prayed, "Jesus, all I want to do is love people and I get this? Why Lord?" And he so gently whispered, "My daughter, that's all I wanted to do too." Brought tears to my eyes. He was despised, beaten and spit on SO THAT I could be forgiven of my sins and LIVE. Can I extend that kind of love to others?

So what does all of this mean for the innocent party? Confront, make right and forgive? The innocent party did nothing, owes nothing, right? Pulled into a conflict they have not created yet called to reconcile and forgive. Seems backwards doesn't it?

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord."
Romans 12:18‭-‬19

Easy? Absolutely not!! Right thing to do? Yes!!! One may never understand why things happen as they do but as a Christ follower it is said, "He (Jesus) cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:2

Pruning is painful. Transformation is necessary. I can't find a single person in the Bible that actually liked it but chose to endure it...are you ready...with thanksgiving!! Jesus endured the cross for me AND for those who hurt me! He is my perfect example.

Sooooo the comfort?

".....fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:2

This world is not my home. I have joy, great joy set before me.

So how does one turn their heart?

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:5

Someone who doesn't know Jesus as Savior might think a relationship with him seeks to take away or quell our humanness and free will. Not true! I sat at the feet of Jesus, crying out, lamenting and shouting, "It's not fair!!!" That is a human response. We are not robots. We were created with emotions and feelings. But the difference is in the working out. The response. The heart's turning. The allowing of the Holy Spirit to work through the pain to actual understanding. To realize that at any moment I could be the one who made the wrong choice and needs the love that covers a multitude of sins. So I end as I began:

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8

Love covers a multitude of sins. Indeed it does. And forgiveness is healing to the soul.