IDENTIFYING GOD’S INTEREST IN OTHERS (I)
““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” John 13:34-35 NIV
A wise man once told me: “If the end of all that you do is not love, you have not yet glorified Christ.”
Unlike what fiction and television have led many to believe, love— the agape love that is of God—is the kind that does hard things. It corrects when you are wrong, counsels so you do not stumble, and discerns what must be done and when. It is unconditional, patient, forgets offenses, encourages the weary, and gives without remembering.
That may sound like a lot, even unachievable , but as children of light, this love must flow from us because out of His fullness we have received. This doesn’t mean things won’t try you, or people won’t test your limits, or that you will be sheltered from what tests your character—but it is an invitation to live consciously each day, aware that you have an inbuilt Helper.
He strengthens you to resist temptation, to hold your peace, and to respond in love even when it feels undeserved. Lean on Him, ask of His help and watch Him transform your life. Hallelujah!
Prayer: My Father, I thank You for the love that flows from Your heart into mine. I am taught of your spirit to see others through Your eyes and to love as You have loved me, patiently, truthfully, and without measure. When my love grows weary, remind me of the cross and the grace I have freely received. Let every word and action reflect Your nature in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. of love.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• 1 John 4:7–12
• Romans 5:5
• Ephesians 4:1–3
