Love Covers A Multitude Of Sin

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sin.

1 Peter 4:8

Without love, we sin.  Without love we disregard others' feelings, God's commands, and even our own bodies get ignored.  When we aren't loving others or ourselves, we will sin.  God's love for us is so amazing that He is able to forgive our sins, His love conceals our sin as if it never happened.  He does not keep a list of our past, He covers up our sin like we would cover up a stain with a throw pillow or blanket.  The most magnificent thing difference between God and that pillow or blanket is that He doesn't even have to pretend the sin or stain is gone, He truly forgets our sins.  We would get reminded of the stain every time that blanket got moved, but God wipes it clean and does not think about it again.  

God's love is universal.  Through the Holy Spirit we have the same power to love like Jesus.  We have God's love in us when we allow Him to live through us and just like God's love cover's our sin, our love can cover the sin's of those who hurt us.  When we really think about sin, no two people are different.  Sin is sin and we all do it intentionally and unintentionally.  We are all equal and asking God to forgive our sins but not forgiving someone else is wrong.  That person is just as deserving of forgiveness as we are.  If the love within us is genuine then we should be able to look at someone who has hurt us and see the hurt that motivates them.  We should see their sin and be willing to conceal it with our deep love and affection that comes from God.  

If you are having trouble forgiving someone, first you must get into the bible and learn about God's love for you.  You need to understand how much He loves you and is willing to forgive your sins.  Most likely you haven't accepted his forgiveness and you haven't forgiven yourself which is why forgiving someone else seems almost impossible.  Next you have to allow God's love to permeate your life and let Him love that person through you.  Ask Him for eyes to see and a heart to understand the motivation behind the sin.  It is possible to love those who hurt you and it is possible to conceal a person's sin just by loving, but that love comes from God, it isn't something we do in our own power.

Dear God, help me to understand your amazing grace and love for me.  Show me the people who need my forgiveness and show me how to love them like you love them.  Let me see past the hurt into the person, who just like me, gets lost in this crazy world.  Give me compassion and deep love for others and myself so that my love can take over and begin to heal the brokenness in my life and others'.