Love Bears All Things
Love bears all things and love also endures all things. To bear is not the same as to endure in terms of persecution. To bear means to cover, protect, preserve, conceal, keep off, forbear. It is to create a layer of protection to those who need it. People need a layer of protection in a period of growth and definition of purpose. People need a layer of protection in a period of restoration too. We all need a covering in lowest moments of our lives. While love is kind and patient, it does not fail to be firm and truthful. But while it corrects and disciplines, it ensures the preservation so that the soul while the process progresses.
Love covers a multitude of sins
1Peter 4:8. This is not the same as hiding sin and keeping it a secret. It is protecting and preserving the soul as we deal with sin. There is no gain in calling one out and embarrassing them while the sin is eating people up. We can band together and help people deal with the sins eating them up secretly and covertly. I think the right process is to conquer sin in secret and glorify God before the people. The greatest transitions happen in the place of intimacy. We cannot help people overcome sin when we destroy them at the same time.
Love shares burdens
This would not mean hiding until we overcome. It means opening up to people who can cover you. It is to come clean to those who can keep off accusations and help your soul catch a fire that will by itself love God and hate evil. To endure here is not the same as enduring persecution. It is to endure the process of waiting when we watch and help people grow. To bear here is to help share the burdens of people until they are strong enough to do so and even help others share their burdens. We share in people’s burdens by caring, listening, praying and counselling. In that order. To counsel without having prayed is to place a weight on others without lending a hand.
Love trades weakness for strength
Beyond sin, it helps to cover each other’s weaknesses. That is why unity and fellowship are critical. We can be strengthened where we are weak and we can supply where we abound. We can cover for one another long enough that we forget and lose our weaknesses. We can cover for one another long enough that we get so used to sharing in other’s strengths and we ourselves become strong. Love makes grace flow from an area of abundance to an area of need. When we cover others, we share in our strength and when we let ourselves be covered, we share in the strength of others.
Other Posts in the Walking in Love Series
- Introduction (Part 1 -7)
- Love is… (Part 8–18)
- Love bears all things
- Love believes all things
- Love endures all things
- Love hopes all things
- Love never fails
- Love always wins
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