May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12
Apostle Paul was no stranger to persecution, threat, betrayal, and the multitude of effects that living in a society brings. However, he modeled the attitude of His savior. Jesus faced betrayal by his closest disciples. His own family rejected His claim to be the son of God. The place where He was celebrated, was the same place where He was mocked and ridiculed. But what Jesus went through never allowed Him to stop loving mankind. In fact, it pained Him to see us wandering like lost sheep, and He cried out to the Father on our behalf and hasn’t stopped interceding for us.
Apostle Paul copied this same pattern for the churches he planted, and you and I too have an opportunity to reflect Jesus. Not all of us can be planting churches, hosting a prayer meeting, or being preachers, but you and I are the church of the Living God. Be it in our family, neighbourhood, workplace, or even the playground, we all are capable of loving people because God first loved us. People around us may be difficult. They may be annoying or undeserving of our love. But think about it, where would we have been if God chose to look at our deeds before deciding if He should love us?
We have received undeserving love and experienced the agape love of God. How much more ought we to give it out then? In fact, the second commandment in the New Testament is, “You shall love your neighbor like yourself“. Let us make today’s devotional a prayer for ourselves and others that our Lord may make us increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just like He loved us all.
