Last week, I had an encounter with an angry
acquaintance. They were upset about
something that had occurred and was taking it out on anyone in their path. This person snapped at me in a demeaning way
more than once during the conversation we were involved in, and had an argument
with at least one other person in my presence.
I was taken aback and, honestly, afraid to challenge them in any way
because of their mood and reactions toward others that day… I truly HATE
confrontation and wasn’t about to be the one who stood up against them on the
topic of our conversation.
But then I did something I'm not proud of….something that I
had to turn and repent for...
I slandered them.
I had gone into the original conversation knowing that there
might be some strife, even knowing that I may not be welcomed, but I had set
myself to keep an open mind and particularly NOT to spread slander afterward!
Later on, after the conversation, I complained to others
about this person's behavior, comments, and general character.
EVEN AS I WAS COMPLAINING… I heard the prompting of the Holy
Spirit reminding me that I shouldn’t be complaining! But friends, Satan is a strong power…he can
sway us away from God’s will quite easily when we let him…and I continued.
Then the next morning, I sat down for some focused Jesus
time…something I had neglected over the past week or so. (By the way, my weakness in falling into
temptation and my NOT spending time in God’s Word at the same time is NOT a
coincidence… they are directly connected…but more on that in another
post.) The VERY FIRST sentence I read
was, “Seek to live in My love, which covers a multitude of sins both yours and
others’” (Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, p 168).
The verse from God's Word referenced in Jesus Calling was 1 Peter 4:8. Paul was writing to a Christian community
encouraging them to remain faithful to Christ's teachings and not be
discouraged by persecution. Paul says,
"Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love
covers a multitude of sins" (italics mine). God was speaking to ME…encouraging ME to
remain faithful…wanting ME not to be discouraged in persecution…teaching ME to
love others, even in their own sin.
Another verse referenced in that morning’s devotion that
convicted me was Revelation 2:4-5. “Yet
I hold this against you; you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at
first. Otherwise, I will come to you and
remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” I for one, DO NOT want my lampstand removed
from its place in heaven…and so I repented.
I cried out to God to forgive me…I allowed His love to cover my sins.
Wow! God never ceases
to amaze me how He speaks to us through His Word...right when we need it. The key is for us to be willing to listen and
apply His lessons to our own lives, our own circumstances.
We’ve all been there…whether it be a co-worker, family
member, or even a friend…we’ve been tempted to complain about their actions, words,
or both. We’ve slandered them in front
of others instead of allowing Jesus’ love to flow through us, covering their
sins.
If you have one of those times in mind…repent now…and allow
Jesus to cover your own sins. Then
practice covering others’ in your path with Jesus’ love by praying for them
instead of spreading slander and complaints.
Jesus tells us to let our love for others be intense…then we can let Him take care of the rest.
