January 3rd, 2021

1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

The Big Picture

Before Christ, the concept of love was a love for the best. If something was deemed worthy of love, it was loved. Christ dying on the cross changed all that, for He offered a love for which we are completely unworthy. Christ revealed God’s love. He lavished that holy love on people with no thought about whether they were worthy or not. Now when a Christian wants to know what real love is, he looks to the cross. Having experienced God’s love while yet a sinner, and having been transformed by that great love, the Christian recognizes the people around him as the objects of God’s love. They are love-starved, in need of the transforming power that only Christ’s love can bring.

Jesus set an example by giving Himself totally in love, with no thought of receiving anything in return. We, as Christians, are called by God to reflect that love to our spouses, our families, and our world. And the more we reflect it, the more we give it away to others, the more we experience it in our own lives.

How To Pray

• Pray for your family members (even your future ones) that relationships will reflect the love of Christ to each other.

• Thank God today for those in your family you have become Christ-followers and who are living for Him. If there is a family member who does not know Christ or who has walked away from faithfully obeying Him, spend some time praying for their return to the Lord (Hosea 6:1-3).