A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34-35 ESV
Jesus said, “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Those are such powerful words. The way we love one another speaks loudly to a watching world. The words we say, the facial expressions we use, actions we choose—they all demonstrate the depth of love our Creator has for His world. What do your relationships say about how He loves us?
If we truly understood His love for us and worked to demonstrate it to the world, we wouldn’t give up on each other when things get difficult. We wouldn’t walk away in anger; we wouldn’t despair it’s over. When the pressure begins to mount, we would lean in instead of pulling away. We would recognize that God’s grace is working on each of us, in a different way, at a different rate. We would stop looking at who people currently are, but instead we would see who God intends them to be. We would stay when we felt like running, choosing to walk through the challenges because we know God’s love is what keeps us standing strong. We understand there is a power that only those who walk through difficult times together experience—a love that goes beyond the superficial, but expresses itself sacrificially.
God wants to bring His love to the world, and He promises to do it through you. When it seems like you should just give up, like you just can’t take another day, hang on to His love. He promises you can embrace those who’ve hurt you, He promises you can love those who’ve failed to live up to your expectations, He promises His love will help bridge your love to better days. When your marriage seems to be in a desperate place, He can rescue you. You can continue bearing, believe, hoping and enduring all things because love never fails to win. Stay in the fight. He wants to show the watching world how His grace and His love can redeem anything, and He wants to use you to do it.
Press on ~ you are loved 💗
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