Daily Devotional: Friday, August 16 – Compete With Love

“A brand new command I provide you with: Love each other. As I’ve beloved you, so should you’re keen on each other. By this everybody will know that you’re my disciples, if you happen to love each other.” — John 13:34-35

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It was a shocking assertion from an Olympic snowboarder … a bit sudden, one may say. He had gone by way of a severe accident a pair years earlier than and had returned to his sport with an entire new outlook on life and competitors. Whereas he was once consumed with the depth of the second and the standard of his runs, now he was extra targeted on residing in gratitude — as he put it, “competing with love.” He wished to be extra invested within the lives of his fellow rivals. He may deal with losses higher as a result of he knew there was extra to life than successful and shedding. His near-death expertise had turned his mindset round in one of the simplest ways doable, and it was nothing wanting refreshing to listen to him speak about it.

I needed to sit again and ask myself, what does it appear like to compete with love?

One take a look at the Bible and it’s truly fairly clear. First Corinthians 16:14 (ESV) places it about as straight as you will get: “Let all that you simply do be accomplished in love.” Simply three chapters earlier than, Paul had spelled out what love is: affected person, variety, unselfish, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not simply angered, not dishonoring to others, rejoicing in fact as an alternative of evil, defending, hopeful, persevering (1 Corinthians 13). “Competing with love” signifies that all these qualities are current in your life ultimately. You aren’t placing your self or your wants or needs within the heart, however are making loving God and loving others your aim.

To “compete with love” is to compete with perspective. Just like the snowboarder, you perceive that the entire of your life is much better than the outcomes you permit on the courtroom or monitor or discipline every week. The lives you contact, the alternatives you make, the stuff you pursue are of far better consequence than the wins and losses you might have. With every thought or motion, you might be constructing a report that both displays Him or displays your self. As quickly as one thing takes His place as Lord of your life, you lose your potential to reside in gratitude and love properly. All of the issues Paul stated love is not abruptly take priority, and also you fail to replicate the character and coronary heart of the God you say you comply with.

Jesus made it clear that we’ll be generally known as His disciples by our love. Not by our achievements, not by our opinions, not by our politics, not by our positions, however by {our relationships}, our communications abilities, our humility, our compassion and care, our listening, our sharing, our giving, our looking-out-for. He desires us to be recognized by this stuff as a result of it’s who He’s. As we’re remodeled increasingly more into His picture, these qualities must develop into increasingly more pure. An increasing number of part of who we’re. We’ve got His Spirit inside us, so let’s reside as He lives and go love each other as He has beloved us.

— Katherine Singer

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