Love Defined: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

Love defined: Fist bumps, handshakes, and hugs

The night before the cross, Jesus prayed that Christians would love each other. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father” (John 17:20,21). So what exactly does that look like? Three things—the fist bump, the handshake, and the hug. 

A fist bump requires two fists, two hands held together tightly. That’s like our beliefs from the Bible. When you and I hold tightly to God’s Word, we have true spiritual unity under God’s divine authority. A handshake requires two open hands from two people. When you and I relax our personal opinions about worship songs or what we wear to church or a thousand other issues, we can remain united instead of raising two fists to fight. A hug requires us to be close but not closed. When we stay close by doing life together and being real with one another, we are one. Time and honesty allow us to love one another in personal and powerful ways.

How closely do those three aspects of love align with your experience at church? Is there anything you could do today to increase the love among the Christians in your life?

Here’s the good news—Jesus doesn’t just want that. He also prayed for that. He personally prayed for you and me to love one another. With God’s answer to his Son’s prayer, love like that is absolutely possible.