Love Each Other Deeply

Last week, I was shopping for a wedding gift, hunting for my favorite marriage book ("Love Life for Every Married Couple" by Dr. Ed Wheat). When I couldn't find it and was on my way to leave Blessings Christian bookstore, I looked to my right and saw the most precious picture. It was a photograph of two pears nestled next to each other with the first half of the Bible verse from 1 Peter 4:8, which in it's entirety says: "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Brad loves pears and when I saw it, I melted. I felt like the smaller pear leaning in. Of course I snatched it right up as my gift, but honestly wondered if I would be able to give it away since I thought it was so precious. As I was checking out, Lori, the owner of the store, told me a little about the couple who sells these. A Christian couple, one does the photography and the other finds a Bible verse to go with it. How beautiful that one look at this pear picture and the spouse thought about this 1 Peter verse.

And how directly on point this verse is! Now understand that when Peter wrote this letter he was not specifically writing to married couples. He was writing to all Christians and giving them advice on how to behave as such. In this verse, he was asking them to love each other deeply. See, we as Christians are petty enough to find faults in everyone around us. We pick each other apart because of each other's sins, forgetting often to look in the mirror at ourselves. So the second part of the verse is key: for love covers a multitude of sins. Think about the love Christ had for us so deeply. It covered our sins in the greatest possible way.

You will have many, many opportunities to pick each other apart in your marriage. You will know your spouse better than anyone else, so you will see everything: the good and the bad. Because of this, you will feel entitled to bring those things which you find bad to the attention of your beloved. Sometimes you will do it for their betterment. And other times you will do it to demean them. Take care to avoid both, but especially the latter at all cost. You have many faults, too, and you certainly do not want your spouse to spit them in your face. It's the old Matthew 7:3 log-in-your-own-eye syndrome. "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?" So be careful when you are nitpicking under the guise of "but I'm just trying to help you out," or "I only want to help you become the best you you can be." Uh huh, yeah. There are ways of doing that kindly. First, imagine how you would want someone to say something like that to you. And second, pray before you speak. God may do the fixing all on His own.

So what's your job? Love each other deeply. We know you already do. We just want to you remember it always.

Discussion: Do you every nitpick at each other? What method of correcting you is the most effective method?

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You that You love us so deeply that You sent Christ to cover our multitude of sins. Help us, Father, to be careful to look at ourselves before we criticize and to gently correct when necessary. We love you, Lord. In Jesus, Amen.