Love one another

Linda Buxa

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

My kids are normal, which means that at home they will intentionally bicker, pick on, and annoy each other. Once, however, when we lived in California, my oldest one marched up to a schoolmate and let him know, “No one picks on my little brother but me!”

Adorable, right? I mean, she absolutely knew it was her job to protect her siblings—until they got home and it was a free-for-all.

God calls the church a family. I realize that we are prone to do the same thing—and it’s not as cute for us as it is for little kids. I’ll defend my Christian brothers and sisters in public, but in private I am quick to look for flaws. Maybe you can relate. The place where we should love each other deeply is actually the place where we judge each other harshly. Have you seen their clothes? They don’t pay attention to their kids. Their worship style is wrong. Why can’t she get her life together?

The apostle Paul had an important message for people who lived two thousand years ago, and it is still relevant. “The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (Galatians 5:14,15).

Our options are (1) love one another and let the world know we are his disciples. Or (2) bicker until we destroy each other.

I prefer option 1.

Devotion used by permission of Time of Grace®. For more information, visit timeofgrace.org