Thursday 6 Jan 2022

January 6: 1 John 4:19-21

Key Verse: 1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

Devotion:
One of the most startling things I see is how many Christians we see who indicate some sort of hatred for others. I’m not talking about saying we disagree with someone else's politics or the way they do things, but genuine hatred for another person in their lives. Yes I can see how people can hate others, but if we are not willing to put aside those feelings and allow God to guide us, then we are falling short of the life God wants us to lead.

Yes I have hated people in the past and I dislike some today. But it does not stop me from caring for them and looking out for them as Christ has asked of us all. No matter what conflict I have come up against in the past I will always try to care for them as much as I can. If we turn our backs on others, we are denying them the love of God coming through us.

Does this mean we always have to say yes when they ask something of us? No! We should be doing what is best for them and asking God’s advice along the way. We do not know their inner needs like God does. We do not know what they are lacking in their lives. If we want to be more like Jesus then we have to give people a chance to get to know God.

So how do we love someone in our lives who has done things wrong or continues to do things wrong against us? We try to follow Christ’s example. Jesus did tell others when they were doing things wrong, but He did not exclude them from His life just because of that. Instead He tried to show them how life could be different with God in it. He tried to encourage others to include God in their lives too.

Points to Ponder:
Do you have issues with someone?

Do they know Christ is in your life?