10 Days of Encountering Jesus Everywhereনমুনা

Day 5: Love Does

When I was in junior high, I told a lie to my best friend, Aaqila. I don’t remember the lie itself, but she found out. She would have been justified in saying, “You know what, I have to weed out people in my life who aren’t good for me.” But instead, she pulled me aside as a mature sixth grader and said, “I know you lied, and it’s not okay. Truth is what God has asked of us. If you continue to walk down this path, we can’t be as close.” She approached me lovingly, told me what God expects of me, and set a personal boundary. That is love.

I remember that conversation to this day because that’s the community God wants for us. That’s what loving your neighbor as yourself looks like, and it convicted me to change. We live in a “cut the toxicity out of your life” culture. And though there is a time for setting boundaries with others, the enemy has done a number on us—deceiving us into believing we are to be our own number-one priority. But God did not call us to love ourselves. He called us to love others like we love ourselves. Loving ourselves comes naturally. Christ instead called us to do what’s harder by loving our family, our neighbors, and yes, even our enemies.

Don’t let the enemy fool you into thinking you’re supposed to put yourself first over everything and everyone. It feels unnatural to put others above yourself. Our flesh is weak and lives in opposition to God’s Word, so we must check our feelings against His truth, especially in our relationships with others. We don’t always need new friends; often, we just need to learn to better love the ones we have. We can do this by being patient and kind, avoiding envying or boasting, not keeping record of wrongdoings, and yes, sometimes enduring a difficult relationship for the purpose of bringing God glory with our love.

Reflect

How can you strengthen the relationships around you by caring for others more than you care for yourself? Have you been tempted to cut someone out when God is instead calling you to love? Is there someone who has hurt you that you need to forgive?

Pray With Me

Father, forgive me for any unforgiveness in my heart. Point out how I can better love and serve the people around me. Search my heart and expose in me the selfish desires that keep me from loving those around me.