Day 21: Love Friends Before Enemies
So often, we hear sermons about “Love Your Neighbor” and “Love Your Enemies”. With so many discussions on the topic of love, Jesus followers can easily become consumed with loving everyone outside our close circle of friends and family, while leaving out those who we care most about.
But how did Jesus do it? We see in the Bible several times where Jesus not only loves the strangers he has just met, but he also demonstrates the love of the Father to his 12 closest friends: His disciples. Jesus doesn’t have a loving face on when he heals the sick, and the lame then not give his closest people the time of day. He continually demonstrates his love and doesn’t change depending on how much time someone spent with him.
How does this apply in my life? I know for me, it’s really easy to put on a smiling face and a loving personality for acquaintances, but then go and treat my best friend with much less love and kindness then someone I just met. It’s a lot easier to love someone before you know their flaws. Although we talk so often about loving our neighbors, our enemies, and our world, how can we expect to love the world like Jesus did without first loving our closest friends and family well?
Read John 15:12-13 and write down a few ways you can intentionally love those closest to you.
Questions to Consider:
What about you? Do you feel like you love your neighbors, your enemies, and your world better than those who are closest to you? How has this affected those relationships? How has it affected your relationship with God?
Prayer:
Jesus, I thank you for who you are. I pray that you help me to love those closest to me, even when it’s a challenge. Even when it’s easier to love people I barely know. Help me to love like you do.
By Jacob Kicha