As I was contemplating whether I should share something with someone or not, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart:
My grace in you helps you give grace to others.
I immediately thought of 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.'” Love covers. Love doesn’t have to say anything or expose anything. Love (the love of God in each of us) can forgive and disregard the shortcomings of others without drawing attention to them.
I don’t know about you but I need this reminder occasionally. Even with the best of intentions, I don’t want to be that person that’s always pointing out the flaws of others. It’s actually a weakness of our flesh that wants to do that. The Bible says the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). This love, the love of God, “is ever ready to believe the best of every person” (1 Corinthians 13:7 AMPC).
Therefore, “Above all, constantly echo God’s intense love…” (1 Peter 4:8 TPT). Our natural response, as children of God, should be to echo Him, His love, and His ways.
I’m reminded of the story of Noah– not the story of the flood, but of something that happened afterward. “Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness” (Genesis 9:18-23).
We could give Ham the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant to ask his brothers for help but this story is in our Bible for a reason. The Lord wants us to understand our individual responsibility. Instead of speaking of his father’s nakedness, Ham could have (should have) covered his father and said nothing– ever.
It’s the weakness of our flesh to want to tell others, or say something to someone directly about their “nakedness,” but this isn’t righteous in God’s eyes.
What’s righteous is to keep it between you and God. What’s righteous is to cover (fix it, correct it) and never say a thing.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” In moments of weakness, God’s Word will rise up in your heart and speak to you– dividing between soul and spirit (the inclination of the flesh versus the inclination of God’s love within you). And notice how it’s a discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart.
As much as we’d love to justify our actions, the Holy Spirit always know the real intent of our heart. And sadly, sometimes our intent in speaking up and saying something (exposing something) is to show how unjust or unrighteous another person’s actions were. But it’s not the love of God in you that’s prompting that action– it’s simply prideful flesh.
Always remember: love covers.
Aren’t you glad God doesn’t expose all your shortcomings? He could. He sees everything. But He doesn’t, and neither should we. “Above all…” — more than anything else, “constantly echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins.”
