19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Have you ever come down in the night and decided that you fancied a nice cold glass of milk. Everyone else is in bed so you decide to swig it straight from the bottle. Your expectation was cold and refreshing milk but what came out was in chunks. So, what do you do the next time you feel thirsty at 2am? You start to sniff around the edges. You become cautious.
The same is true of our relationships. We carry the hurt and disappointment into our future connections. We grow cautious and careful. Because we don’t want to be hurt or let down. This one of the reasons that God became flesh and walked among us. We needed to be able to see for ourselves what perfect love looks like. We saw how Jesus responded to the poor and unclean. We heard his words on the cross as he took upon himself the violence of the world. We heard his call on our lives and he invites us to follow him. It can be scary to trust someone so implicitly but the love that he gives us drives out fear.
Reflect
- What specifically is the fear of that God’s love removes?
- How does this love transform us?
Respond
What are you worried about today? Jesus says that we can cast our burdens on him. We do not need to carry our worries alone. Take the time to give them to him and trust him with them.
