13th September 2025

Loving Others

If we love one another, God abides in us,

and His love has been perfected in us. 

1 John 4:12

Today's Bible Reading: 1 John 4:7-16.

Why did Jesus command us to love others? The reason is that God loves them, in spite of their faults—and He wants us to have the same kind of love for others that He has. Think about this for a moment. The Bible says God loves the whole world, and yet for the most part the world is not very lovable. In fact, the world is filled with people who do not want anything to do with God, and are living in sin and rebellion against Him. And yet God still loves them.

How do we know this? We know it because God sent His Son into the world to give His life for us and call us back to Himself. If God did not love the world, He would not have bothered to send Christ into the world. But He did — out of His love for us. As the best-known verse in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Have you responded to God’s love by giving your life to Christ? If not or if you are not sure, then turn to Him in repentance and faith, and receive Him into your life today. Then ask God to help you begin seeing others through His eyes, and to love them even as He loves them.

Prayer:  Help me, Father God, to demonstrate Your love, not only to those that are lovable, but also to those who lash out at me through pain or anger, disappointment or loss. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.