Neither we nor others will be perfect in this world. Apart from God’s forgiveness, mercy, grace, and the influence of the Holy Spirit we don’t have the power to work towards the beautiful perfection of loving that our Lord Jesus Christ displays.
There is power in evil in this world, but God’s LOVE is more powerful-the Greatest power! God tells His children to have deep, strong, consistent, abiding, and enduring love towards Him, ourselves, and one another. So it is not surprise that our spiritual enemy, Satan, relentlessly fights to tear down and defeat love and truth in our public and personal lives, including family, politics, and churches.
Since there is a seed of God’s true love living in each of those who are surrendered to, while loving God in their hearts; we are given the capability, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to triumph over anything that comes against us to trap, tear down, or strip love from our lives. When we are offended by others, God’s love gives us the energy and motivation to work out and process through our emotional hurt, pain, and anger, through pouring out prayer-which allows us the liberty to forgive those who have hurt and greatly offended us. Without forgiveness, our hearts will become trapped in negativity, hate, and bitterness. This is the enemy’s plan to keep us from knowing the overcoming love of God experientially.
God is LOVE, and a heart full of pure love does not criticize, judge, nor condemn those who fall short. On the contrary, love forgives, understands, disregards, while forgiving the weaknesses in ourselves and in others. If we are full of negative judgments, criticism, and condemnation towards ourselves and others, we are not full of God’s love. Just as Christ has forgiven our past, present, and future short comings, we must be willing to process through our soul’s feelings and forgive ourselves and others. Love and compassion are the beginning foundation of walking in the Spirit, and before we can eat of the fruit of the Spirit’s love and compassion and gain its nourishment, we must be set free from judgment and anger towards ourselves and those that fall short. This will gradually bring us to a place of spiritual growth, and enlightenment- where unconditional love will regulate our speech and control our actions toward ourselves, friends, and even our enemies.
As believers, God’s love covers all our sins. Even when we try hard to be perfect and successful, but fall short, we are covered by God’s loving forgiveness and perfection. In this same way the Holy Spirit’s love, living within us, gifts us with the mighty power to forgive all that fall short of perfection, as we partake of God’s mighty love, which covers over judgment and condemnation with understanding and love towards ourselves and others.
“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]” (1Peter 4:8amp)
“Above all, constantly echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins” (1Peter 4:8 tPt).
