Having Fervent Love One For Another

Wednesday, December 01, 2010 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments

1 Peter 4:8, (NIV) And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

Peter tells believers in Christ to have "fervent love" one for another. We must cherish one other with a love that is constant and intense. The word "fervent" that Peter uses in this text to describe love has two meanings:

1. It means "out stretching" in the sense of being consistent. Our love must be constant and unfailing as a reflection of God's love for us.

2. It also means "stretching out" as a runner stretches out to maintain his speed and form.
    The God kind of love is neither easy nor sentimental. The God kind of love demands all our mental and spiritual energy. Jesus defined true love in Luke 10:27, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" We should love the unlovely and the unlovable. We should love in spite of insult and injury. We should love when it is not returned. Love is a willing decision more than a feeling.

    The God kind of love covers without covering up. When we really love one another, we can accept faults, bear with foolishness, and endure unkindness, while reaching out to offer hope, help and healing.