December 5 – 1 John 3 : 1-3

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior and son of God, I have to remember that we all are children of God. Does God love me? Yes, he does. Does God love my enemies? Yes, he does. It is amazing that God chooses each of us to be his child and that he loves us unconditionally. Unconditionally. Forever and ever. No matter what we do. So what does he expect of us? He expects that, through our relationship with Christ, we have a responsibility to all of God’s children, and just like we love and care for our own families, so should we love and care for all of God’s children. If we profess to love God, then we should act like it. As the apostle John says, “if anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” Simple to understand but oh so hard to do.

I have been struggling in the last few months to remember this idea that we are ALL God’s children. It is very easy to love the loveable but so much harder to love those who have different views from me. So when I see or hear someone exhibit behavior that I find offensive, I struggle to not jump to anger. And in that moment right before I might say something I will regret, I hear Jesus’s command to “love one another”. I need to remember that, as a Christian, God expects for me to take this opportunity to bring love and positivity to His child instead of condemnation. Thankfully, God has a funny sense of humor and reminds me daily that I’m a sinner, too, so I pray that I can be more Christ-like and that my brothers and sisters may experience the love, peace, and understanding that comes with God’s grace. Essentially, my hope is that by showing love to others, I can show that God is love.

So as I reflect on the Advent season of Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy, I know that the greatest of these themes is love. Be kind always. Do good. Love one another. It really is that simple.

Written by Karen Payne
What am I passionate about at Heritage? I’m passionate about Hope Circle and Santa’s Caravan. If you want to see the love for/of God in action, please join us working with Santa’s Caravan…there’s a place for you.