The Importance of Love from I Peter 4:8

The entirety of my first few posts on this blog paints a bleak picture of what's happened in my life in the past few weeks and is a veiled chronicle of my long-term struggles and their most recent iterations. But, thankfully as a Christian I do not serve a God that relishes the opportunity to point out my flaws. Thankfully as a Christian I have a written validation from the God of grace and mercy to draw solace and vitally, hope from whenever I open its pages. My life could be (and has been) in utter shambles and if I humble myself to pick up His word and read it I generally receive the comfort, peace and sustenance that at times I don't even realize I need. 1 Peter 4:8 speaks to that infusion of hope that I so often desperately need.

The last two posts showed God's call to us through Peter's urging to be sober-minded and alert. We need to be on guard and ready to do His work. We need to be humble and ready to go at a moment's notice to do the Lord's work. This way we can be holy and set apart and ready for the time when God - this is an incredible line - the time when God will exalt us (I Peter 5:6). But we also need to be alert and ready because of our ever present adversary, the devil seeks someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). But in all of this humbling of ourselves, in all of Peter's calls to be ready and alert he has one more important thing for us to do.

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins" (I Peter 4:8).

This simple little verse packs two things in its shortness that are crucial for me at this point. First, there is one thing I must do, above all else. That call to love in earnest is at the heart of what it is to be a Christian. But, what hits me the most right now while I'm somewhat down on myself because of my shortcomings is the hope that this message gives me. I, a possessor of a multitude of sins, have hope because sincere and earnest love covers over that multitude of sins. Not just that God's love covers over my many sins, but the love that we Christians share with one another is so great that it overcomes all failings and shortcomings. There is a great hope in that message.