Tag Archives: love

Love Each Other Deeply

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Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8, NIV*

The Apostle Peter places a lot of emphasis in this letter on how Christians should conduct ourselves in relationships and in hardships. He’s already told us to “love one another deeply, from the heart [or from a pure heart]” (1 Peter 1:22b, NIV)

Now he reminds us again to love deeply, and says it covers a multitude of sins. He’s been urging us to live well in relationship, and I think this is the “how”.

Most translations that I checked speak of love covering sins. (I love Bible Gateway). The Message expresses it as “love makes up for practically anything.”  The Amplified Bible says love “forgives and disregards the offenses of others.”

Peter’s not saying love will turn a blind eye, excuse or enable wicked or destructive behaviour. It seems to me the “sins” love covers are twofold:

People are irritating (rumour has it, this includes me!). If I choose to ignore the thing(s) that grate me in another person, choose to focus on that person’s value and to love him or her, that helps me obey Peter’s teaching and live like Jesus.

And by choosing to love rather than to be critical, I’m dealing with or negating sin in my own life. Jesus had lots to say about being critical and judgmental.

Father, You know true, Christ-like love doesn’t come naturally… or easily. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who longs to produce it in me. Please help me learn to rest more in Him and not hinder His fruit in me. Help me to love others, because You love them. Thank You for loving me too.

For this week’s song, I chose Don Francisco’s “I Could Never Promise You,” which is often thought of as a wedding song but which I think applies just as well to all of a Christian’s relationships. How can we promise to love others without Jesus’ enabling? At the end of the video there’s some conversation about that.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Better than Offerings

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The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!”
Mark 12:32-33, The Message*

Before I opened the Bible today, I was thanking God for His love. It’s so wonderful that He loves each of us—loves us—and that it’s unconditional. Nothing I can do will make Him love me any more or any less.

But in response to that love, I want to please Him. To bless Him, maybe. That’s where what I do makes a difference.

Sometimes I think once people get over the obstacle of thinking we have to earn God’s love by our performance, there’s a danger in thinking good works don’t matter. We’re saved by grace, not works.

What we do—on the outside and in our hearts—does matter. Loving God, loving others, shows that our relationships with God matter. It lets us grow in our faith.

And it pleases the Father more than offerings or sacrifices. For me, that’s reason enough.

Father, there are no words to thank You for loving me. Please help my heart to truly grasp that Your love is deep, unchanging and unearned. Help me love You, and help me love those around me. Give me a desire to please You—not because it could make You love me more, but to bless Your heart.

Let’s take Paul Baloche’s song, “Offering,” as our prayer today.

*The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson.

Unity

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If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Philippians 2:1-2 NIV*

The way Paul starts here with “if you have any” implies he expects us to have a great deal of it:

  • encouragement from being united with Christ
  • comfort from His love
  • fellowship with the Holy Spirit

These ought to be the things that keep us going each day. Relationship with God makes all the difference. We’re to be people “living the rescue.” We’re not the same any more.

Verse 2 is a natural progression from verse 1. With our eyes and hearts filled with Jesus, that has to shape our relationships with other Christians. As we remember Who is our focus, He’s going to grow us together in His love.

But we get used to Jesus’ presence and instead of relying on Him more and more, we tend to take Him for granted. And we start to look at one another with colder eyes, noticing flaws and irritants.

Father, please forgive me, and open my eyes and heart to joyful awareness of Your presence. Help me linger with You, walk with You in the days, and thrive in You. As You change my heart and the hearts of my brothers and sisters in faith, grant us unity to serve You in this world.

Our song this week is “Neverending,” from the David Crowder*Band’s Remedy CD.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Commanded to Love

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We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:19-21, NIV*

Seen… not seen…. But I have seen God, at least His character: in the ways he cares for me, in His Word, in creation around me. I love Him because He’s already proven His love for me.

And I’ve also seen my brothers’ and sisters’ characters in what they do. Some generate an automatic response of love. Others, my instinctive response is avoidance… perhaps even dislike.

John calls us to an active love: “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18, NIV) It’s not “feel love for,” it’s “show love to,” perhaps even “serve.”

I’ve told my sons many times over the years, “you don’t have to like one another, but it’s your job to love one another.” Maybe that’s the point of this command to love.

John goes on to say “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” (1 John 5:3,4a, NIV) And he says we overcome the world by believing in Jesus, the Son of God. (1 John 5:5).

With loving my brothers and sisters in mind, I wonder about this overcoming the world. Maybe in part it means overcoming or breaking free of the world’s default mindset. Taking on the perspective of Jesus, learning to see like He does. Learning to love the unlovable because He sees something in them—in us—that is lovable: we are designed and created by the God of the universe, and He deems us worthy of love.

In the strength and grace of Jesus, I can find what I need to show love to the difficult ones who come my way. They need it most.

Father, please forgive my hard-heartedness—there is still so much world in me to overcome. Please help me see people as You see them. And give me not only love and compassion, but wisdom too, because with the demanding ones, sometimes what they want isn’t what You would give. Help me to depend on You and not trust my own instincts.

This week’s song is Casting Crowns‘ If We Are the Body:

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.