Love Covers Like Vaseline

The Greek word for cover in Scripture, "kalupto" means to veil and to conceal. When something is veiled, it obscures a clear view but doesn't hide. It obscures imperfections instead of flaunting and magnifying them. The film industry used to apply Vaseline to the camera's lens in order to obscure the lines and imperfections that age and use had left on the actors' faces. It gave a much softer and more youthful look to their features. Today they have special lenses that do the same thing without the grease. Instead of magnifying and exposing the real or imagined sin of others, we need to be exposing the love of God that covers and leads to repentance and salvation. I Peter 4:8 states: "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]." This is a message for the Church. We're not to forget what Christ has done for us in covering our sin and setting us free from its bondage. When we remember what He has done, we are more willing to be a veil and covering for our family, friends and the Church - not blind, but compassionate, not hidden, but forgiven! "Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives) who are purified and holy and well-beloved by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways and patience which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes with good temper. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a grievance or complaint against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has freely forgiven you, so must you forgive. And above all these put on love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony." (Colossians 3:12-14, Amp.) Let's start clothing ourselves in this manner for our extraordinary God while making sure we have a big jar of vaseline!