Read: 1 John 4:7-21
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (v. 7)
Have you ever heard the idiom seeing through rose-colored glasses? It’s used to describe someone who always sees a person or a situation in a positive way, sometimes to the point of thinking it is better than it actually is.
In our reading today, John is saying that if we have been born of God—that is, believing that he sent Jesus into the world to die and rise again for our sins—then we should love each other with the love that comes from God. Our human love is not enough because it is based on what we experience in this world, our feelings, our expectations, and our faults. As wonderful as human love can be, it is flawed.
Loving each other with God’s love means seeing others like God does. In Psalm 26:3, the psalmist says to God, “Your steadfast love is before my eyes.” Through these steadfast-love-colored glasses, we see that he has made everyone in his image; each beautifully unique in gifts and personality, but all with an innate purpose and desire to relate to him throughout eternity as his beloved child. We see others as dearly loved relatives that we are connected to and want to care for. We lay aside our selfish desires so we can attend to their needs. We think the best of them and cheer them on. We love them like God loves us. —Donna Harold
As you pray, set God’s steadfast love before you as you view others.
About the Author
Donna M. Harold is retired from a career in accounting and consulting and lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and two cats. She serves as treasurer for her church, creates and facilitates Bible studies, and enjoys writing, mosaicking, and quilting.
