Good Words for Today: October 29

“We encourage you as believers to excel in love even more” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:10 GW). You can never love too much. You never reach the point where love doesn’t matter. We can always grow in our love for others. How do we learn to grow in love? There is only one way. God puts us around unlovely people, usually people very close to us. He surrounds us with family and friends who sometimes get on our nerves, and he puts us in situations at work where we have to deal with difficult people every day. Over the years I have observed God do this again in again. He allows two people to have difficulties with each other, often to the point of anger and bitterness. He does it because the only way we learn to love is by dealing with unlovely people. I have seen it happen between husbands and wives, parents and children, between co-workers, neighbors, fellow students, and relatives. I’ve even seen God do for people who aren’t going to vote the same way on Election Day. Right now it feels like we need a few miracles in this area. But God always gives us what we need to obey his command. People who start out disliking each other often end up as dearest friends. They may not agree on everything, but in Christ they learn to love one another. Lord Jesus, help us to grow in love today. Amen. 

October 29, 2016