He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. ~Proverbs 17:9 (AMPCE)
Scripture teaches us that when we cover and forgive the offenses of another, we are seeking love. We are also told that “God is love”. When you are trying to do what God would expect you to do in any given situation you are going to have to make some choices. Those choices can go a long way with God because He is ever ready to back up His children when they try to live the life that He has called them to live. Choosing not to “harp on a matter” is seeking after God’s way of doing things. It’s seeking love. God says when we seek to walk in love, He equates that with seeking Him. He tells us in Amos 5:4 “This is what the Lord says to Israel: Seek me and live.” (NIV) The Lord isn’t talking about just continuing to breathe in this scripture. He is talking about an abundant life that very few find because they refuse to seek God and His will for their lives. The Lord tells us in Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NIV) We can do a whole lot of good or a whole lot of evil just by the use we make of our tongues. Foul tongues, false tongues, flippant tongues….they all produce the same thing, bad fruit. Jesus said we will know a tree by its fruit. We are all proficient at being fruit inspectors but the first place we need to be checking for good fruit is on our own tree.
When we seek anything but God and His way, we aren’t choosing life. We are choosing death. Death is the cessation of renewal action. It is the incapability of revival. Many relationships have been subjected to death because of unforgiveness and an unwillingness to walk in love. How do you respond when someone disappoints you or does you wrong? Is your initial response to forgive? Do you seek love? The Lord tells us that to repeat and harp on a matter causes division. Jesus said in Mark 3:25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (NIV) We are the household of God, and our job is to build each other up, encourage each other and most importantly to forgive each other. We also cannot be so worried about what other people are doing that we miss what we are supposed to be doing. That’s how the enemy distracts us. Ephesians 6:12 tells us “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (NIV) Prior to that passage we read in Ephesians 2:6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) We don’t have to take the enemy’s bait. God has placed us above the circumstances we see around us, and He has placed us above the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. He tells us in 1 John 4:4 “The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” (NLT) The next time you find yourself in a position to repeat a matter that you should have already let go of or forgiven, remember the position God gave you. You are seated way above that situation. What other people are doing is between them and God. Our job is to love, encourage and forgive.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
How do you respond when someone disappoints you or does you wrong?
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