Loving in Times of Uncertainty
“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy may be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love.” John 15:11-12
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples–when they see the love you have for eachother.” John 13:34-35
This morning, my heart is stirring thinking about my friends and how they are doing in these crazy times. If I stay too attached to the news, I find every hour there’s a new update that doesn’t look good. And while I have my own worries about it all, my mind is on my friends this morning.
I love that one of Jesus’s greatest commands is to love others. In our human weakness, we are quick to turn inward, seeking out our own needs before others, but the verses above remind me this morning of this truth: I am free to love others generously because Jesus loves me. I don’t have to protect myself and say “Me first!” because God knows all my needs and is meeting them. He carries my heart, helps me work through my worries and emotions, comforts me, and then sets me up to love others well.
Who in your life can you love well today? Who can you be praying for? Who can you call or text to check in on? Better yet, who do you live with that you can love and serve today?
This is a great time in our lives to work and strengthen our “selfless muscles.” As we do so, we grow to understand Jesus more and become more like Him.