gaitwhihald: Pass Along the Love: Two Practical Points For Relationships ...

I bought a ?new? car a few months ago.? It isn?t new, but it?s new to me.? It?s a nice car, a 2007 model?in excellent shape, low mileage, immaculate interior, and it is a luxury model with all the bells and whistles.?? It was a great deal for us.? It is primarily for my wife to drive and she loves it.? It actually looks brand new?until you get really close, that is.

I remember washing and cleaning the car for the first time.? I?m pretty detailed when it comes to that kind of thing.? I clean all the parts of the vehicle?rocker panels, wind dam, door jams, etc.? I go over the interior well, cleaning the carpeting, cleaning and conditioning the leather, etc.? Well?the thing about doing that is you begin to see all the little flaws in the vehicle.? Suddenly, the car that was pristine is no longer so in your mind.? For, as is true with every vehicle that is driven daily for any length of time, there will be little dings, scratches or chips in the paint.? There may be a small stain on the carpeting that you can?t quite get to come out.? You get the idea.? A closer look reveals the blemishes that may n0t have been apparent from a distance.

The Blemishes of Relationships

The same is true of our relationships.? Think about all the relationships you have in your life?spouse, children, friends, co-workers, relatives, etc.? When we establish a new friendship, for instance, we may see little of the flaws in that person?s life.? The things that have drawn you together are generally positive and those tend, at first, to overshadow any negative things that are there?and believe me, they?re always there.

What do you do with those blemishes?? In your marriage, when you got to the point that it wasn?t the honeymoon period any more, how did you deal with the reality that this person whom you love and have committed your life to, isn?t as perfect as you may have thought?

In your friendships, as you?ve drawn closer, you may have begun to see the reality of those things that are negatives.? Have those issues hampered the progress of your friendship?? Have you been able to get past them, or have you met a roadblock?? After all, every person has flaws, obviously some more than others.? How we deal with them in relationship is crucial to, not only the progress of that relationship, but also, how we develop and mature as well.

Two Simple Principles

In a paragraph of very practical instruction, Peter, in his first letter to the church, gives us a clue into how we must deal with this.? He writes:

1 Peter 4:8

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

He simply tells us, deep love will cover those blemishes.? This must be the application we take away from his instruction.? We know that we, as human beings, have no ability to ?cover? sins?that is, to grant forgiveness for salvation or spiritual connection with God.? Drawing from the passage which Peter is quoting, we get a clue about the intent of this truth.

Proverbs 17:9

Disregarding another person?s faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends.

Further instruction from the Proverbs tells us?

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love covers all offenses.

So?we have two simple principles that will be invaluable in maintaining and growing our relationships?any relationships.? One of the principles is explicit the other is implicit.? Both are core to the truth of the gospel.

Implicitly, we have received (as Christ Followers) the outcome of Christ?s love for us?our sins have been covered by His blood.

This is reason to celebrate!? This is motivation to love Him back.? This is the reason we can express love to others.? Implied in Peter?s command is the reality that a multitude of sins (those of the entire world) have been covered by the sacrifice of Jesus.? Do I have flaws and blemishes that offend God?? Yes?no, I have wicked, sinful actions and attitudes that have gone against His sacred Law.? In spite of that, He has loved me and provided a means of forgiveness.? He has chosen to forgive and separate me from those sins as far as the east is from the west and chosen not to remember them against me any more.? Awesome!? I am reconciled and in a growing relationship with my Father as a result of the practical application of His love toward me.

Explicitly, when I choose to let love for others (motivated by the Love of God for me) guide me in overlooking and forgiving their faults, I am mirroring the very thing that Christ has done for me.

Love is a verb, as Toby Mac said, and it is active when I am treating others with grace.? Oh, I can look closely at the faults and blemishes of others?when we get close, we?re going to see them.? But, if I choose to overlook those things which I can, and lovingly and graciously address those which I should, my relationship will grow and progress, and I?ll mature as a follower of Christ?for I will be growing more like Him.

Implications for Your Small Group

If you are involved in a small group setting where you are attempting to connect with others in a growing faith and growing community, think of the importance of this dynamic.? As we share life in a small group, we will very quickly begin to see one another?s blemishes and faults.? If we allow them to, we will find these things separating us.? In fact, however, they are opportunities to connect.? Loving another person means we are going to be willing to overlook those surface issues that can easily become the focus.? Instead, we?re going to allow love to drive us deeper, below that surface to see the real person and love the true individual.? When we come up against a serious issue that is detrimental to that individual?s well being, we?ll then be relating to them in a way that permits us to lovingly and graciously address that issue.? They?ll be ready to listen because of where our love has taken us.? This is obviously a God thing?not something that happens in our own ability.? There is really no better place to practice this thin in a small group.

So?the next time your taking a close look at your friend?s life?remember, love overlooks the road wear?it looks deep into the beauty of the person inside.? Real relationships are not a test drive?they?re the long haul.