I'm taking the main verse from another devotional this morning:
1 John 4:11-12 (NIV)
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
In reading the above, we notice "we also ought to love one another". The word "ought" stands out to me. Meaning, we don't always do this. We also read "one another". Although I'm not studied in the translations, in reading, we understand "one another" does not apply to Christians, but to those unsaved. In looking at the scripture before verses 11-12, we find:
1 John 4:7-10 (MSG)
7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
So, if you are like me, there are many people who are difficult to love. I haven't gotten to where I need to be, as many people seem to know how to turn off my love button. Have you prayed for yourself to have the ability through Christ to love others? Have you shown love to your neighbor with the barking dogs late at night? What about your co-worker who keeps doing the same mistake? What about our newly elected president?
What about Jesus Christ? Do you love Him enough to accept Him as your Lord and Savior? If you have, do you love Him enough, for Him to be able to help you with those you may not love currently?
Heavenly Father,
Open our eyes to those we need to love, and those who may need to hear the good news of Your salvation. Help us to overcome our own faults, to glorify Your name. Be with our president, and guide him in ruling over the precious nation we have. Make our hearts big enough to love all.
For it is in Jesus name we ask, and claim these things, Amen!!
God Bless,
David B.
