1Peter 4:8,9 Above all, love each other warmly, because love covers many sins. Welcome each other as guests without complaining.
Happy Sabbath!
In the text above, Peter saying church members need to love each other warmly. He's not saying that they just need to be kind or polite to each other, but to warmly love each other, and by loving each other the members help each other through their difficulties and weaknesses. He's also saying that because of the love for each other, the members will forgive and forget the offenses against them and to conceal the sins of each other rather than to gossip or lay them out for everyone to see.
Whenever a family has difficulties or arguments, it's best to keep that all within the family instead of spreading it about town. This is true of the church family. There's no need to spread around town the weaknesses and sins of those in the church family. Love doesn't do that. 1Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love beareth all things” or when translated directly from the Greek translation it says “ Love all things covers quietly.” When a members stumbles in their Christian walk, Love will do what it can to help without telling someone else about the situation. Even using something like asking for prayer for the person becomes a way of spreading gossip. We must be careful not to abuse any Christian act as a way to gossip.
The last part of Peter comments in the opening text is about how we welcome each other. It very easy to take each other for granted and not appreciate each other as we should. Notice how a visitor is treated when they come to church. Even more notice how a non-believing visitor is treated. In most churches a non-believer becomes someone everyone feels a need to draw into the church in hopes of winning them over. Visitors are warmly welcomed (usually) and made to feel as if it is a pleasure to have them visit the church. Members, on the other hand, can arrive and the most they might get is a smile and a “glad to see you,” and then left alone. The more shy a person is, and the less active they are in church, the weaker the greeting they usually receive. It should not matter what position the person has in the church, everyone should be welcomed as guests. Never should there be any grumbling about a person, who is struggling in their Christian walk, attending church. That person needs love and encouragement all the more. Church is exactly what that person needs to help them find their way back to a close relationship with our Lord.
I recently had the honor of standing next to the baptismal tank to watch someone, who I have prayed about for many years, give her life to God and be washed clean. I still get teary when I think about it. It was a very moving and wonderful experience for me. Her road back home to God happened when she decided to start attending church again. She was welcomed back and people befriended her. She was helped through her difficulties she had to overcome and as a result we now have her back in the family. That day was a most joyous day for me. The church is for everyone. Great everyone warmly and without complaining!