Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

L1 Peter 4:18

I almost missed seeing it, but I glanced over to Lily, the teen foster girl seated at the kitchen table next to me. The current group at the emergency shelter was finishing eating their dessert—two scoops of ice cream. Lily grimaced as she took a bite of the chocolate ice cream. Her response was in sharp contrast to her delight over the vanilla scoop. Silently, she slid the chocolate lump onto another plate and delicately draped a paper napkin over it, hoping no one would notice.

I saw, but I remained silent. My heart hurt for her. I barely knew her, but I loved her. I chose not to expose her action.

Sin stains our souls. To cover sins is not the same as sweeping dirt under the rug, or hiding our unwanted ice cream. It doesn’t mean putting a Band-Aid on a dirty wound. The dirt remains.

Love covers all our sins. God completely blots out the stains in our hearts that we think are permanent.

For believers in Christ, the amazing truth is that Jesus’ blood makes it impossible for Him to see our sin!  We are completely forgiven, once for all!

When Adam and Eve chose to do things their own way instead of trusting God, they didn’t respond in love. They blamed each other for giving in to temptation. When each realized they were naked after they sinned, they sewed fig leaves together in an attempt to cover themselves. The fig leaves weren’t enough. After God talked with them about what the consequences would be from their decision to disobey Him, He clothed them from animal skins (Genesis 3:21). God loves. God provides. God forgives.

Christ followers are covered.

What will we choose when we see someone else sin? Expose them or pretend it never happened, or extend the covering of Jesus’ robe of righteousness through love and forgiveness?

Lord, may I love others through forgiveness. Thank You for forgiving me.

Karen Sims