“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8
Sounds great, sounds easy enough! But it’s not. It’s hard to love sometimes.
The hardest people to love are often the people we know best; you can see the sins of the people you are closest to most clearly. And it’s hard to love someone when you can see their sins up close. Think about it- do you always feel love towards your family, even when your sibling is on your last nerve? Do you feel love towards your friends, no matter what they do?
So what is Peter saying in this verse? Above ALL, love each other deeply. Why is he commanding us to love? You can’t command an emotion! Carey Nieuwhof explains it like this:
“In our culture, we usually think of love as an emotion- you either feel it or you don’t. But Jesus comes along and gives a whole different [perspective] on love. Maybe love isn’t an emotion, maybe it’s a decision. It’s not a question of whether you feel it, it’s a question of whether you decide to do it.”
Jesus loved everyone, even those He had every reason to hate. In John 13:1–5, Jesus washes His disciples’ feet. He physically brings Himself down to wash the feet of His followers, washing away the dirt. This display of sacrificial, humble love, the kind of love he shows to all of His people, was also seen as He died on the cross to wash away our sins.
Another note: Jesus washed the feet of ALL of His disciples. Why does this matter? Judas, Jesus’ betrayer, the one who would give Him up to be killed, was present. And Jesus even washed His feet. The feet of the man who offered Him up to die. I don’t know if I could do that. I definitely couldn’t if I was relying on my own power.
You must decide to show love, to act in a loving way. And that’s not always easy to do- we’re not Jesus, obviously. We were not made perfect, and we will fail to love others in our own strength. But the good news? When you accept Christ into your life, you accept the Holy Spirit too. The Holy Spirit is God’s permanent presence in us and gives us the power to love others with the love of Christ. We don’t love well when we try to love in our own strength. Today, try to love someone who is difficult, who is getting on your nerves, who has committed a “multitude of sins” against you. Don’t try to love them like you would- love them like Jesus would. Act in love, and eventually, your emotions will line up with your actions.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
John 13:34