1 John 4:10-11 - In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

LET’S TALK
The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Isn’t it remarkable that the Bible doesn’t say “For God so loved Christians that He gave His only begotten son….”

Rather, it says “For God so loved the world,” and that doesn’t refer to the plants, trees, and other physical features in the world, but to the world of men—sinners! What could God have seen in these sinners who didn’t even want Him that would compel Him to offer the ultimate sacrifice—the death of His Son—to save them?

This lets me know that God loves everybody, irrespective of who they are and what they’ve done. In His eyes, everyone is beautiful; there’s a value in man that makes God love him unconditionally. That love causes Him to look beyond your shortcomings. The Bible says “…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them...” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

God’s love for man is both unconditional and irrevocable. In Ephesians 5:1, we’re admonished to be imitators of God as beloved children. This includes how you treat classmates, siblings, teammates, and even people who offend you. There’s a beauty in others that God expects you to see, irrespective of what you see and how you may feel about them.

When you train yourself to relate with everyone around you in this manner, anger, malice, and bitterness will never be a part of your life! There wouldn’t be anything that someone could do that would make you want to hurt or hate them. Rather, you’d respond to people with the love of God. Let God’s love burn in you, such that you’ll always see the good in others. Let there be absolutely nobody that you can’t love, for everyone is lovable. I love everybody because I see them with the eyes of the Father. Remember, everyone is lovable, for they’re all worth the blood of God’s own Son.

Go Deeper
1 John 2:9-11; 1 John 4:7-8

Pray
Dear Father, just as you’ve loved me with an everlasting love, I extend that love to everyone I meet today and show them the compassion of Christ. Thank you for filling my heart with your love and granting me the ability to take no record of any wrong, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

ONE YEAR
1 Corinthians 15:1-34, Proverbs 5-7

TWO YEAR
Luke 20:1-8, 1 Samuel 19

Act
Today, say one sincere, kind word to each person you interact with. Choose patience in every conversation and do at least one helpful act without expecting anything in return.