The Silent Roof
"... love bears all things ..." I Corinthians 13:7
The word 'bear' means to endure, suffer with. It also means to cover, conceal. 'Bear' comes from the Greek word 'stege' which means to roof over, or figuratively, to cover with silence (to endure patiently), (for-)bear, suffer.
Love covers. I love that about love! True love, God-love, covers ALL my sins. It hides them, it turns away its face from them just as much today as it did that day on Calvary Hill when the Father turned away from the sin laid upon His Son. In that "deep" of God's love, His grace concealed and buried them.
It grieves my heart to think what a keen eye I have to spot the sins of others. It's sad and shameful to think how clever I can be at pointing them out, as though this empowers me in some twisted way. Forgive me, Father, please.
This 'love' in 1 Corinthians 13 we know to be 'agape' in the Greek. It is also the word 'charity' in the KJV.
When I think of the word 'charity' I think of the word 'need'.
I need love. You could say I am a bona fide charity case! I need God to cover me, to put a roof over me and protect me. Not so I can keep sinning in the privacy of my own self or avoid accountability for my sin. Of course not! If this is how I read the verse, as to cover or put up with willful sinning, then I'm way off track.
But, what is my heart's response when I discover sin in myself ... in others?
What do I do with it?
Do I ask God to protect? ... bring change? ... cleanse?
Do I choose to endure?
I need ALL of those in ALL things. I ought to want the same charity for others.
Consider the tabloids. Gossip magazines publish sin and print it for profit (whether true, half true or untrue) to entertain masses. The headlines receive a lot of attention when they speak of "juicy" details; and so does the enemy.
So, I ask myself: Am I a deadly tabloid to expose others' sins, faults and weaknesses, or am I a living testimony of love, covering all things in love, through prayer, through enduring?
Lord of Love, Christ of Charity, forgive me for the times I've exposed someone for attack instead of choosing to shelter them from Satan's storm. Help me to desire for others the same covering You graciously give me. Help me to be Your help to them in time of need. Help me to love the way You love.
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Matthew 8:8
by Dana Lange