The Greatest Of Theseနမူနာ

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

There’s an old saying that goes: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. If we are going to bear witness to those closest to us about our Christian faith, the greatest impact may not be our Bible knowledge or how spiritual our prayers sound, but simply the way we treat and interact with one another.

We know, it can be complicated. Our closest relationships are often our deepest, most rewarding relationships, but they can also be the source of our deepest hurts and conflicts. Whether it's family Christmas, sitting in the back seat of the car with our siblings, or sorting out the flat roster – there’s an art to loving one another well. 

In 1 Corinthians there’s a bit of a guidebook to how we can love one another well and I want to draw your attention today to four of them. I believe if we put these four things into practice in our everyday lives, we would bear much fruit in our relationships. 

Firstly, be patient with one another. We live in a fast-paced world & it’s not always easy to be patient, especially when you’re rushing to get the kids out the door. But patience is about making allowances for one another – approaching our relationships with the intention to understand people, not fix them. Understanding takes time and requires patience. 

Secondly, be kind to one another. Kindness is doing things ‘just because’, kindness is putting the needs of others before our own. It’s figuring out what matters to the people closest to you and showing an interest in those things. It might be something as simple as a hug, a word of encouragement, or buying coffee for a friend. 

Thirdly, forgive one another. It’s easy to get irritated and ‘count up’ the wrong things people have done to us. But holding onto hurt only hurts us. The Bible tells us many times over to forgive – quickly and completely. Learning to let go and look forward in our relationships can bring healing, peace, and restoration

Finally, believe the best of one another. Our words are powerful – the words we speak over those closest to us will shape the condition and quality of those relationships. Let’s be committed to see, speak, and believe the absolute best in one another. 

As you read the key scriptures for today, pray that your actions and words would shine to those closest to you. That in seeing them, they might see and glorify their Heavenly Father.