Loving Others

1 John 4:19-21 (MSG)

“We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.“

Ever buy one of those little knick-knacks advertised on TV? When I was in my twenties, those ads were on TV all the time. Franklin Mint or the Hamilton Collection were advertising commemorative coins or plates or small statues. They were collector’s items, and they each came with a certificate of authenticity. That certificate of authenticity proved that your item was a genuine collectible. In today’s passage, we see that God gives us a certificate of authenticity as well. As believers, our certificate of authenticity is our love for others.

Want to know how well you’re doing as a follower of God? Want to assess how mature the fruit of the Spirit is in your life? Look at how you treat others. Are you acting in love? How well we love others is a measure of whether or not we truly belong to God. Now, God’s not expecting us to do this perfectly all the time, but we should notice that Christians love others better than non-Christians. If we can’t see that difference, there’s a problem.

John tells us that loving others is the test because if we can’t love the people we can see how can we hope to love a God that we can’t see? Each and every person in the world is made in the image of God. When God’s love is in us, when we have accepted His love for us and become a member of His family, we are expected to pour that love out of us and onto those around us. Those of us who take this seriously will not have to boast about our love for God, it will be obvious to everyone around us.

Father, I thank you for your great love for me. I thank you that because you loved me first and taught me what love really is, I have the ability to love those around me. I can love the people who are easy to love, and with your help I can love the people who are hard to love. After all, you loved me when I was hard to love. I want to demonstrate my love for you, Lord, so help me to do a good job of loving those around me. I know that when your love for them flows through me, they will see the work you are doing in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.