Continue to love
Reverend Patrick Feldhus
Above all, love each other constantly, because love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
If we waited for people to be loveable, we would never love anyone. It is easy for us to make lists about why we should not love certain other individuals. “They talked behind my back.” “They spread lies about me.” “They hurt my child.” “They stole from me.” The list can go on and on. But I am confident that as much as we can make lists about others, they, in turn, can make lists about us, too.
If love depended on the object, love would cease to exist.
Imagine if God waited for us to be worthy of his love! If God made a list about each one of us, it would contain every unlovable sin we had ever committed. God shows us the true nature of love. Love is given even to the unworthy. God’s love in Christ was given to us despite the loveless sins we had committed against God and one another.
“This is how we have come to know love: Jesus laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16) God has shown us what love truly is, and this changes how we show love. His love in Christ has covered all of our sins.
Now that all our sins are covered in the blood of Christ, we know how to show constant love to one another! We will continue to sin against one another, but the love of Christ that God gives us will compel us to love one another despite our sins. This does not mean that we say sin is okay. On the contrary, we still call sin a sin, but in love.
Our goal will always be to point one another back to the love of Christ. He has covered the sins of all people. Christ’s love is the reason why we will continue to love one another!
Prayer: We cannot thank you enough for the love that you have given us in your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to love one another as you have loved us. Give us opportunities to show love to the people in our lives that reflects your great love for all people. In this way, more and more will come to know how your love has covered all sin. Amen.
Devotion used by permission of The Lutheran Home Association. For more information, visit https://www.tlha.org