God’s Call to Repair Relationships: Love One Another
God created us to have relationships with one another, and with Him. God created Adam to partner with Him, to subdue the earth and rule over it. The LORD God also said “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).
We often say in our culture today that we have to do things on our own and be independent, not relying on others, but ourselves. But this was not God’s plan. If we look at the Bible, when sin was introduced to the world in Genesis 3, this problem of humanity has been around for much longer than the past thirty or forty years. Because Adam ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and decided to work independently from God, a downward spiral of events occurred which led to brokenness across the globe. One of the effects of sin is the distrust with each other. Adam and Eve covered themselves because they were unsure and untrusting of the other, attempting to hide not only from God, but from each other.
Because of distrust, relationships struggle. Relationships with siblings, parents, friends, co-workers, children and grandparents are often broken at one time or another. God knew this; He knew of the struggles and had a plan of reconciliation with Him and with others! God’s plan is Jesus Christ!
There are many scriptures about loving one another and the importance of love.
- “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”—John 13:34-35
- “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”—1 John 4:7-10
Jesus displayed the greatest love in all of human history by literally laying down His life for His friends.
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I call you friends…”—John 15:15
Earlier, Jesus states, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12).
If you and I are born again, we have been reconciled to God through Jesus! And we have the Holy Spirit within us to have reconciled relationships among us, too. How we relate and treat each other is of the utmost importance to God.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”—Ephesians 4:2-3
When we take a look at what most of us want in life, it is to be understood, heard and loved. We desire relationships where we can be authentic, genuine and truly vulnerable without fear. God has given us, through Jesus Christ, everything we need to be authentic, genuine, vulnerable and loving in relationships. When we have a close personal relationship with our Savior, we cannot help but to step out in faith with those we love and relate this way. His love overflows in us and pours out to others.
Believers emit the perfume of His presence: “For we are a sweet fragrance to God in the Messiah among those who have life and among those who perish” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
Step out in faith today and love those around you in humility; thinking of them first: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3).