Proverbs 10:12 says…

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

One thing that I find interesting about this passage is that it would be easy to think that hatred and conflict are inherently evil. This is not the case. It’s not wrong to hate but it does depend on what or whom you hate. People tend to think that because God is love, he cannot hate anything. In reference to Jesus, Hebrews 1: 9 says, “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.” God hates wickedness. You can’t truly love without also hating. Conflict is also not inherently wrong. Conflict is necessary in this world because good and evil exist. Whichever side you choose will mean fighting against the other.

“Love covers over all wrongs.” To be honest, I’m not sure exactly what the author of this proverb meant by this statement, but I do have an idea. When you love someone, you don’t keep a record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:5). You keep loving that person in spite of the wrongs committed against you. That doesn’t mean you never confront the person. It does mean however, that when you do confront them you do it in love. People who are always looking out for themselves and are insecure to the core have a way of amplifying the wrongs committed against them. They’re always getting offended and they constantly reciprocate the wrongs done to them. Love doesn’t act like that. It has a way of absorbing wrongs and perpetuating forgiveness.

Do you find yourself habitually covering over wrongs or amplifying them? What do you need to do to cover them?