Devotionals

Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7

God expects us not only to love Him, but to love others as well. Loving others reveals God in our lives, and God is pleased when we love others with a godly love. How can we demonstrate our love for one another?

First, we show love to others by telling them that we love them. Saying, "I love you" is nothing to be afraid of. First John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." You can also show love by praying for others, by sharing your testimony with them and just by being there to listen and share God's Word with them.

God knows the true intents of our hearts. He knows every evil thought we have about the Christian brothers and sisters we profess to  love. We must get beyond those thoughts in order to love them with the passionate love of God. The actual Greek form of the word "passion" means to suffer. Until we can learn to love others enough to suffer for them, we cannot truly love them with God's love. In order to have a godly love for others, we must be willing to look beyond their faults and allow God to perfect His love in and through us.

Loving others matures us in our walk with Christ, but more importantly, it is commanded by Christ as being second only to loving God. The first and great commandment is to love God. Jesus said in Matthew 22:39, "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

First John 4:7 says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."

Taken from Dr. Brenda J. Robinson's "A New Desire Devotional"

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• Tags: love, love others

• Posted by: Dr. Brenda Robinson