Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
How would you rate how well you love, especially those with different views from you, on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being terrible and 10 being fantastic?
A Listening Heart
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It is easier to love those who are like us than those who are not.
Fred came home from work. After the usual greetings with his wife, he announced his plans to watch TV and catch up on the news. His wife told him that watching the news makes her anxious. He assumed she didn’t want him to watch the news, so they argued.
Around the world, a lot of uncertainties from the pandemic, economic crisis, social injustice, and elections are increasing tension and leaving many people feeling overwhelmed. It seems many of us are down to the last nerve; it is easy to become frustrated and have knee-jerk reactions to people who are different or who hold different viewpoints from us.
John reminds us in 1 John 4:7 to love one another, regardless of whether we agree or disagree with their viewpoints. Love comes from God and we love because he first loved us. How? God showed his love by pursuing us while we were broken, and dead in our sins. He sent Son, Jesus, to pay the ultimate price to redeem us and exchange his life for ours.
If we know and accept God’s love, then we will pay it forward by loving others even those who may look different, sound different, or hold different views from us. If we allow love to guide our interactions with others, we can disagree respectfully but still listen with an open mind and give each other understanding. Without love, our faith is like meaningless noise.
How will you let love guide your life and interactions with others?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I admit it is easier to love those who are like me. Increase my capacity to love, listen, and give understanding to others. You have done so much for me. Let your light shine through me and let me love others well, regardless of our differences. Amen.
