1 Peter 4:8 (CEB)

Above all, show sincere love to each other, because love brings about the forgiveness of many sins.


Reflection

Without love, there can be no forgiveness. The reverse is also true: without forgiveness, there can be no love.

If we didn’t love, we’d never want to put in the work that forgiveness requires. Forgiveness is an investment in a relationship, a decision that says moving forward with someone is better than leaving them behind. Without love, we just won’t bother.

Likewise, love implies a commitment to forgiveness. Every life-long relationship – especially with our parents, siblings, spouses and children – has cycles of hurt and reconciliation. It’s simply not possible to love someone so well that you never hurt them – as much as we would want to. We’re human. We make mistakes.

The comfort in this verse is that where there is much love, there is forgiveness to cover all kinds of hurts. And we’re not talking about just covering in a superficial kind of way that doesn’t deal with the issues. No, love is willing to dig deep and in order to re-lay the foundation and make the relationship even stronger.

Love always requires forgiveness and forgiveness always requires love. In order for either to be genuine, neither can exist without the other!

By Joe Monahan


For Pondering & Prayer

Say a prayer of thanksgiving for a relationship that’s been saved by forgiveness.

Where forgiveness is hard, pray that you might be able to re-commit your heart to loving the person who hurt you.