Today’s Blog: Do We Protect Friendship’s Sacred Space?
TODAY’S PROVERB: Whoever covers up an offense seeks love. Whoever repeats a matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9, TLV
Have you ever noticed that the people we love can hurt us the most deeply? Perhaps because we’re more vulnerable with these loved ones. A spouse, parent, child, or best friend can inadvertently wound us with their words or actions.
When people we don’t know well offend us, it can definitely sting, but generally we address it — or not — and move on.
With loved ones, who we think should know better, it can brew into something more when we dwell on it — letting it “repeat” in our mind over and over again.
I love the use of “cover” in this verse. The Hebrew summons the image of someone covering one with a cloak or clothing as a way of protecting them. In this case, almost with a sense of protecting their modesty. So that others won’t see the offense. It’s only seen between us and our loved one.
All of this is done in love and with respect.
Does it mean we allow loved ones to repeatedly offend us without saying anything? Of course not. Let’s face it, we can say hurtful things when we’re tired, frustrated, angry, or we may not realize there are tender areas we’ve hurt. Now that we’re in #StayHome mode, this is most likely happening a lot right now.
When the offense happens, we can assess if it’s worth discussing in a quiet moment or discern that its intent was not to harm.
[NOTE: If the “offense” is one of abusive or dangerous nature — verbal or physical — please seek professional help with a pastor, minister, rabbi, or counselor.]Whether it’s discussed or not, the offense needs to be covered in the cloak of love and forgiveness to protect the sacred space between us.
If, on the other hand, we continue to bring it up repeatedly — or worse — repeat it to others to gain their support for “our side,” we can destroy the trust between us.
As always, it’s our choice whether we cloak in love or expose and repeat the offense. Our choice. Then, my friends, let us choose wisely.
May we cover in love, my friends.
Proverbs 17:9 Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible, #tlvproverbs
