[Charity] Beareth all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7a)
Beareth is a term we don’t use much in our modern vernacular. What exactly does it mean to beareth those whom we say we love? In the Greek, beareth means to cover with silence. It means that, along with knowing when to say something to those you love; you are also sensitive about when NOT to speak.
Love beareth all things means if we say we love someone, we don’t talk about them behind their backs. We don’t say things to other people about them we wouldn’t say to their face. God’s love, when it is alive and working within us, should compel us to exercise discretion and restraint in our speech. It should be obvious that this includes refusing to gossip, slander, or tell untrue stories about others. Believers show love by guarding the confidence of those who confide in us.
Love, in its truest form, is resilient and unwavering, capable of continuing to stand with people when they are enduring trials, challenges, and hardships. Let us be examples of God’s love when those around us are going through life’s storms as we cover them with silence.
Practical Application
Ask yourself, “How were my words yesterday?” Will you honestly answer that question truthfully? Were you quick to engage in gossip? Was it easy to listen to someone tell a story about another? Or were you quick to stop such conversations? Did you try to end any talk that seemed to attack or be negative? Decide to be a peacemaker and change the atmosphere of a conversation by speaking words of faith, hope, and love.