Love makes up for offenses

Proverbs 10:12 (NLT)
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

Hatred works for the devil in that it stirs up strife and creates malice towards one another. The end results are heated sparks fanned into flames of ill will that create quarrels and ill spoken words. Love, however, is the peacemaker. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that love covers a multitude of sins therefore making up for all offences. Love, instead of proclaiming and aggravating the offence conceals and extenuates it as far as it is capable of being concealed and extenuated. Love brings healing and peace and cools the flames of hatred.

 

 

One day I was burning some leaves in my backyard. A neighbor down the street had their windows open and the smoke was drifting their way. Frustrated the neighbor walked over to my yard and started to fuss at me for smoking up their home. Here was a person I hardly knew standing in my yard yelling at me. I didn’t know I had done anything wrong, nor had I intended to. Then I thought about how they felt. I’m sure it was frustrating trying to enjoy the nice outdoor air, but instead smoke was filling their home. So I quickly apologized. I said I would immediately put out the fire and clean up another day. My gentle words changed the attitude of the neighbor. They said they had already closed their windows and not to worry. I told them I would try to look around for open windows next time. They went away peacefully and the issue was resolved.

Often quarrels can be prevented by trying to understand the point of the other person.  When we react out of love for the offended person we can calm an argument instead of stirring one up. Our worst tendency is to want to repay strife for strife, quarrels for quarrels and hatred for hatred.