“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”
Proverbs 17:9
Huey Lewis and the News sang,
“Don’t need money, don’t take fame
Don’t need no credit card to ride this train
It’s strong and it’s sudden and it’s cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That’s the power of love
That’s the power of love”
Consider, if you would, the power of love and what it is able to accomplish. We equate love to a warm fuzzy feeling or an emotion. The truth is love is an act that produces a desired result or fruit. According to scripture, there is a direct derivative of love, a result tied to one’s action: “restoration.”
1 Peter 4:8 says, “And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” Galatians 6:1 declares if we are spiritual, we will restore the fallen. What does it take to do that? LOVE.
Why do we lose so much valuable time trying to get vengeance when God said that vengeance is His and His alone (Romans 12:19). We were never commanded to have a smart quippy comeback, cut down, or derogatory remark toward our enemies. God wants to make our enemies be at peace with us. We get in the way with our unwillingness to be adult enough and Christ-like enough to let it go and move on beyond the crippling thoughts, words, and circumstances that jealousy, pride and envy have brought our way.
Starting today, quit repeating the same old things that are not working. Instead, give love a chance. It just might save your life. Instead of giving that look, speaking that comeback, or waiting on the moment for retaliation, do something good for your enemy and watch love begin to change the outcome.
Our prayer for you this week: May we learn to love like Christ bringing peace to our situations.