Wearing Affection...

He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love,—Proverbs 17:9a AMP

He who covers a transgression seeks love,—Proverbs 17:9a NKJV

Love overlooks and covers offenses especially those offenses that are against us...personal offenses. Love desires the best spiritually for another and puts their good foremost without considering how they themselves are being treated. Christ is our greatest example:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.--Romans 5:8

Reading this proverb (17:9a) this morning brought 1 Peter 4:8 to mind and it is where I spent my time. 

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

And - Moreover

Above - Before

all things - each every any

have - to hold in the hand in the sense of wearing; to have possession of the mind

fervent - stretched out; stretched forth to its longest reach 

love - charity, affection, good will, benevolence

for one another - towards each other

for - because

love - affection, good will, love benevolence, brotherly love

will cover - Kalypto - to hide, veil, to hinder the knowledge of a thing, conceal that it might not become known.  Kalypto comes from two root words: 

1. klepto - to steal or commit a theft...to take away by stealth

2. kyrpto - to hide, conceal to be hid, to escape notice.

a multitude - a great number

of sins - violations of divine law in thought or in act. 

My Paraphrase...

And before each and every thing give preeminence to and wear affection, good will and benevolence stretched to the limit as in a stretched out hand toward one another because self sacrificing love will cover or conceal a great many sins. It will point many to Jesus.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.--1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Replace the word love with Jesus)

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.--Philippians 2:1-11

Love is ready to forgive...love covers and overlooks offenses against itself.