Look at the Bigger Picture!
I Peter 4:8-11 (ESV)
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
George was visiting a particular church in Atlanta, Georgia after a stint in a federal prison for selling drugs. One particular Sunday, a long time member name Timothy befriended George and offered to meet with him to help him deepen his understanding of Jesus Christ through personal Bible Study. On the day that they set to meet up, he was a no show. Timothy was a bit frustrated by George’s failure to show, but he didn’t complain or run him down to others. Rather he set up another time to meet with George and out of this friendship came a mentorship that resulted in George becoming a believer of Jesus Christ and a member of his church. Timothy could’ve allowed his frustration to get the best of him, but he chose to look at the bigger picture at the time, George knowing Christ as his Savior and Lord!
Oftentimes, we allow the offense, faults and failures of other people to cause us to loose sight of the bigger, making disciples! Peter in the midst of hardship challenged the people of God in light of the imminent return of Christ to look at the bigger picture and not at the smaller picture. Relationship with Christ and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to the glory of God is the bigger picture that the Apostle Peter had in mind when he penned I Peter 4:8-11.
Glorifying God, leading people to saving faith in Jesus Christ and building up fellow believers in the Lord requires us to overlook the minor offenses of other people. In overlooking the minor offenses of others doesn’t mean that we let them treat us as doormats. But it does mean that we ought to ask ourselves, “ it this worth fighting about and will it hinder what we are trying to achieve in the long run?” If the first answer is no and the second answer is yes, then we should overlook it.
Peter emphatically says to do so, we must keep loving one another, cover one another sins, practice hospitality towards one another, and use our various gifts from the Lord to serve one another for the glory of God. Love coupled with forgiveness is crucial to us seeing the bigger picture of relationship with God and others! What minor offenses do you need to overlook today in order for you to see the bigger picture?
God help me to look at the bigger picture of making disciples when dealing with the minor offenses and faults of other people, Amen!