“This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear Friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” 1 John 4:10-11 (NLT)
Consider John’s point. If God loved the human race to the extent of sending Jesus Christ to take away our sins, then believers certainly should be able to love other believers. Jesus said everyone would know whether we were his disciples by the love we show to one another (John 13:35).
Consider what other people, believers and unbelievers, think about our behavior toward themselves and others. Yes, I know that we live in a world that doesn’t care about other peoples’ opinion of our actions. Post-modernists are living a fantasy. Mistakenly, they believe that they are an island unto themselves. Disciples of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, do not have the luxury of such arrogant individualism.
Our behavior seriously affects our relationships, our family and friends, our community, our church, our co-workers, other believers, Christendom, and our God. Perhaps we should follow God’s example. He didn’t wait for us to show him love. He took the initiative and showed us love!
Dear Father, thank you for showing us your love through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Grant to us the maturity to lay aside our petty demands and begin to love those around us with a pure love. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today by expressing real love,