Proverbs 10:12

Think about the last time someone wronged you. Maybe it was a harsh word, a broken promise, or a text that never got answered. Our first instinct is usually to push back, bring it up again, or make sure the other person knows exactly how much they hurt us. But that instinct rarely brings peace. It just keeps the fire burning.

Here is the better way this proverb points us to. Grudges don't have to be loud to cause trouble. Simply rehearsing an old wound, dropping hints, or telling one more person about what they did will stir the pot all over again. Strife feeds on our refusal to let things go.

Love works in the opposite direction. Covering a wrong does not mean pretending it never happened or staying in a harmful situation. It means choosing not to broadcast it, not to repay it, and not to keep it alive. It is like placing a blanket over the embers instead of fanning them back into flames.

So today, ask yourself an honest question: is there a wrong you keep stirring up? Maybe with a spouse, a coworker, a sibling, or an old friend. Try covering it instead. Let the comment slide, skip the sarcastic reply, or forgive quietly before God even if no apology ever comes. That is love doing its quiet, powerful work.

Dear Lord, help me be a peacemaker instead of a pot-stirrer. When I am tempted to keep an old wound alive, teach me to cover it with love, just as You have covered mine. Amen.