Scripture: 1st John 4:21
The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Thought for the Day: As a person of faith, and a person who lives in the joy of grace, the word MUST always causes me to pause. When I use the word MUST, it usually has to do with my child’s bedroom and its need for cleaning. I am not making a suggestion, and it really isn’t up for debate. The room MUST be cleaned. But when it comes to love, I am uncomfortable in mandating it. In fact, is it love if it is ordered and expected. For love to be love, doesn’t it need to be freely chosen? Maybe I need to read the scripture differently. Maybe the MUST here is less of a demand, and more of a joyous response of one who has found love in and through God. Yes, I have a choice. God has provided me with free will, but when I truly see, appreciate and enjoy the depth of God’s love, I simply MUST love my neighbor. My mind cannot comprehend any other option. When I have been humbled by the beauty of love, my first thought is not hate or even indifference. My first thought is to love…my heart just MUST. Maybe that’s what the author was thinking.
Prayer: As one who loves you and knows your love for me, O Lord, I pray that my life will reveal love for others. Amen.
