1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)
Love begins with Christ. He loved us first, when there was no compelling reason to do so. We were his enemies, yet, he chose to love us by dying on the cross in our place, taking away our sin and placing us in his family.
Let's get real here. It's easy to say you are a Christian and that you love everyone. What's difficult is when someone acts in a very unloving way toward you and you must respond in some way. I think, sometimes, that the closer the person is to you the harder it may be to respond in love. If a random person says something hurtful to me I can blow it off, but if my wife does, then I can be a little defensive. (And of course this goes the other way too.)
The lesson is that loving each other in Christ is not necessarily easy. Most of the time we need to sit down before the throne of grace and ask for grace. We need to remember that he first loved us and he forgives us, multiple times, on a daily basis! If you think you are easy to deal with, you probably aren't.
I am a sinner saved by grace. I may accidentally step on someones toes or I may purposely step on someones toes, but I will step on toes. We all will. Humility, knowing who I am in Christ, should lead me to remember that because Christ first love me, I should love whoever God puts in my path.
Father, help us to love others just like Christ loved and loves us. Praise be to you in us today!
Let's get real here. It's easy to say you are a Christian and that you love everyone. What's difficult is when someone acts in a very unloving way toward you and you must respond in some way. I think, sometimes, that the closer the person is to you the harder it may be to respond in love. If a random person says something hurtful to me I can blow it off, but if my wife does, then I can be a little defensive. (And of course this goes the other way too.)
The lesson is that loving each other in Christ is not necessarily easy. Most of the time we need to sit down before the throne of grace and ask for grace. We need to remember that he first loved us and he forgives us, multiple times, on a daily basis! If you think you are easy to deal with, you probably aren't.
I am a sinner saved by grace. I may accidentally step on someones toes or I may purposely step on someones toes, but I will step on toes. We all will. Humility, knowing who I am in Christ, should lead me to remember that because Christ first love me, I should love whoever God puts in my path.
Father, help us to love others just like Christ loved and loves us. Praise be to you in us today!
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