Love One Another

Reflect on 1 John 3:21-24

Dear friends, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him.

What a week it's been in our nations history.  Charlottesville, Virginia has been the scene of great violence, hatred and injustice this week.  My heart is heavy for so many reasons and it's just too much sometimes isn't it?  This week in our The Challenge Series Bible reading plan, we read the verses above.  My question for us is, how are we doing in the "love one another department.  The thing is, John is not saying love the people you like or the people that look like you or even the people you agree with.  It just simply says "love one another".  We may need to do a heart on check on this piece of God's commands in our lives, which is just what John is telling the local (early) church in this time.  He is saying check your hearts, keep his commands which are to believe in Jesus and love his people.  Sounds so simple right, but to truly love others like Jesus did we must put aside our agendas and our own fears and just love them.God is teaching me so much about relentless love these days, I look forward to someday revealing the story he is writing with his love for me and the call to love others who don't look like me, don't act like me and don't even love me in return.  What a high calling we have to love so completely different than the world does, to love like our good Father loves us.  My prayer for us today is that we will look on others and ask God let us be broken for them as he is and that that will spur us on to love them in his great name.

1. Take some time in the next few days to reflect on where you are at in following the command to believe and to love.  Repent on where you have dropped the ball and commit to looking for ways to love others well, no matter what.
2. At the end of our scripture today we are given a great charge and a reminder to "remain" in him.  Remaining looks like time spent together.  Open your Bible everyday this week and read.  Spend some time in prayer seeking God.  I believe when we remain in him, love becomes an outpouring in our lives because we are filled up with the living water that easily pours out into those around us. Seek him and remain this week.