SCRIP-BITS

Proverbs 17:9.    He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
 
Oh Friends, you need to show the ole fella some true Christianity, some real LOVE this morning. I got caught up in catching up with some overdue paperwork until a late hour last night. Then faithfully, I attempted to write the Bit, but found it wasn’t going according to my satisfaction because I was mentally tired. So I decided to get into relaxation mode, which caused me to go to bed in the wee hours of the morning. And like it does so often, my frail human body betrayed me; (smile) I didn’t get up until past the appointed time. Anyway, the mind seems fresh right now, just like the many new mercies and blessings the Lord rains down on us every day. So without further preamble, let’s delve right into our Bit, which conveys an absolute imperative for all true believers. ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of) friends.’ And isn’t that both the awesome and awful truth! In short, when we forgive transgressions against us, we’re being truly Christ-like, showing His true dimension of LOVE. However, when we behave like chatterboxes, continually running off our mouths, especially about things we don’t really know, we tend to kill good relationships. Please, please remember my people, that nothing in this world destroys friendships like idle gossip. Cousin Sol was quite aware of this, and earlier on in Proverbs said it this way: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov.10:12) And that’s an indisputable truth that all believers need to write indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds so that most of the time we can be covering sins, rather than stirring up strife. Because of our naturally fallen condition, we’ll never be perfect, and strife will occasionally come into our lives, but we must be very careful to eradicate it as soon as possible, and not let it linger in our spirits and eventually become firmly embedded there. And in the immortal words of James, re saving an erring brother: ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (wander) from the truth, and one convert him (turns him back); Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:19-20) Yes Friends, when we help someone to overcome their shortcomings with LOVE, we’re doing a wonderful work for Jesus. That’s as opposed to Sol’s contention: ‘A froward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.16:28) And believe me, we certainly have too many busybodies and gossips in the church today. It’s one of the major causes of strife, dissension and divisiveness that’s currently wracking apart the Body of Christ. Instead of helping others to overcome their deficiencies, too many of us go around spreading tales about those deficiencies. And sadly, by the time the gossip makes the rounds, it’s been changed so much that it bears very little resemblance to how it began. That’s the major problem in gossip Friends; every teller adds their own take on it, so that it’s totally distorted and even further removed from any truth it originally contained. Now that kind of behaviour should never be numbered amongst believers. We should always walk in the way of LOVE. And what’s that you ask? I’ll let Bruh Paul tell us: ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; LOVE envieth not; LOVE vaunteth not itself (does not brag or boast), is not puffed up (arrogant). Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’ (1 Cor.13:4-7) That’s how believers walk in LOVE my brethren! It’s a dying to self like Jesus did. Unfortunately that sort of LOVE walk is not as prevalent in churches and Christian circles as it ought to be. Oh Friends, we all know that LOVE, the very essence of God’s Being, is the only thing that can bring and keep us sinful humans together under Christ’s wonderful banner. So why are we so reluctant to embrace and share it eh? Please, let’s try and change our gossipy tendencies nuh, and replace them with ones of LOVE, so that we aren’t inviting strife and all the other negative emotions it entails, into our lives. That’s the only way Christ’s Church will become strong and grow. Remember, that’s our great commission. Much LOVE!…and now abideth…faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these…is LOVE…(1 Cor.13:13)