Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan - Part 11Sample

Today's chapter is 1 John 5. Let's take a closer look at verses 1 and 2 from the CSB translation.

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him. This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands."

These verses reconfirm for us what was communicated by Jesus in Matthew 22:40. The letter of the law is fulfilled when we love God and love His people. For so many of us, we find the loving God part comes easily. But we hit a snag when we need to start loving people the way God loves us. But today’s scripture makes it quite clear. We cannot profess to love God if we do not love His people. This isn’t a religious thing. It’s not a, “now I have to love people.” It’s a, "When I love my Father, my heart becomes more and more like His with every passing day as I allow Him to transform me into the likeness of Jesus. And as this happens, my new normal becomes loving the people He has surrounded me with."

This is not always going to be easy. People are people, and so are we. But with God, it is possible to love even the most impossible-to-love people.

Who is that person in your life that you find hardest to love? Would you come and submit your heart to God today and pray for that person, but also that God would empower you to love them as He would want you to love them in the season ahead? No, it’s not easy, but it is good.