Digging Deep // 1 Peter 4:8

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) | Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Today’s verse is one that means a lot to me. We are called to love deeply since love covers a multitude of sin. When you think of loving deeply, what first comes to mind? For me, it’s the depth of the ocean. Challenger Deep is the deepest part of the ocean and it plunges 6.8 miles! That’s incredible to me! There is no way we could ever go there without some extensive and expensive help.

The word from the original Greek that Peter used in which we find our word, deep, is, “ektenē.” This doesn’t refer to the depths of the oceans as much as an athlete having to dig deep to find the energy reserves and soulful resolve to push past exhaustion. It refers more to overcoming adversity than anything else. Pretty cool, huh?

We need extensive and expensive help to love like Jesus with all the ambivalence, anger, and animosity we see in the world. We can’t love others the way we are called to under our own power. Thankfully, God gives us the help we need in the expensive and precious blood of Jesus, as well as the extensive power of the Holy Spirit!

The depths of God’s love are unfathomable and unsearchable on our own, yet He shares that grace freely. This is exactly what we need when we face all the junk of the world and it collides with our call to love like Jesus. So, whatever it is you must do today, and with whomever you are called to do it, plunge the depths of God’s love. Yes, even if it means you have to dig deeply and strive to find the reserves and resolve deep in your soul. If you need an example, think less about your favorite ball player digging deeply to make a play and focus more on Jesus. Jesus is the one who carried the cross to bear your sin and bury your shame. He dug deeply in God’s extensive and expensive love so you can be forgiven; therefore, make loving forgiveness part of your life today and every day!