by Desiree Bustamante

How should we love?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud Link

“Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.”
1 Peter 1:21-22, 2:1-2 New Living Translation

God loves each one of us deeply. These verses call on believers to selflessly love each other deeply, from the heart. That expresses an intensity that is all too often lacking. It means that, within the body, we are actively looking for ways to care for and nurture other believers, to do what is best for another person with no thought for personal gain. Love is not accidental, it is intentional.

Because we are children of a loving God, we must rid ourselves of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. These actions harm personal relationships because we place more value on ourselves than on others, tearing them down to elevate us. They divide us and keep us from being the healthy body we are called to be. Love cannot flourish where there is dishonor and dissension.

As we purify ourselves of these destructive sins, we make room for love to grow within. Cultivate that love into a conscious choice to build others up. Rid yourself of any attitudes that would cause disharmony within the body of Christ. Seek to grow in God’s word, and work to build up the body. Live as one blessed by a God who loves you deeply and asks you to deeply love your fellow believers with your entire heart.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado