August 8 | 1 John2:1-6
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Love Like Jesus
By Carmel Elmer
The assigned reading for my devotional today is very familiar and deeply personal for me, not just the verses assigned, but also the text before and after them. In my bible 1 John 1&2 are marked with highlighters and parentheses, and I’ve bookmarked the page with a photo of someone who I care deeply about and pray for over these words almost every day.
Some of you who have been at UALC for a long time may remember how Pastor Eric would invite us every Sunday to pray for our ‘one’. That person in our life who we know needs God more than they realize or who doesn’t know God at all. That bookmark is a photo of my ‘one’.
My ‘one’ is someone who goes to church, prays, and even believes that God loves them; but when life gets tough, there’s a darkness that creeps in and gives way to temptation toward sin. It’s as if they are relying solely on their own ability to get through it. They trust no one and they’re angry to the point of pushing everyone away…especially God. What follows is a downward spital toward some destructive patterns of behavior and unhealthy ways of trying to find comfort.
“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2: 1
1 John 1:5 tells us “God is light. In Him there is no darkness”. Darkness, by definition, is the absence of light and that means it’s the absence of God when we need him most! I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed that my ‘one’ would turn to Jesus and ask for help and then accept the help that is offered, but somehow, he just cannot see anything but the darkness. Something I find interesting though is that if you sit in a dark room, even with your eyes open, you cannot see light. But step outside on a sunny day, close your eyes, and light gets through. It stands to reason that surrounding yourself with light through others who want to help you just might be what a person needs during a time of darkness and any one of us can be that source of light!
If you read through all of the book of 1 John, you’ll read about what love is and how we demonstrate that love for God and for others. It’s important to note that the original Greek word that was used in this context was Agapē and it describes a selfless, unconditional, sacrificial kind of love, one we choose and one we demonstrate through our actions. Loving like this is living as Jesus did and first and foremost, Jesus demonstrated His love for God through obedience. Jesus is a tough act to follow and daily, I realize my own short comings. It’s why I pray every day for Him to help me be more like Him.
“But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:5-6
If you have that certain someone who you pray for, ask how you can be like Jesus for that person and for anyone else you encounter who needs some help seeing the light. This is how love for God is made complete in you and in me, and it is the best way we can reflect His love in a world that truly needs it.
PRAYER
Today, Lord we pray for our ‘one’. Maybe that person has hurt us because they struggle to know they are loved by You. Maybe they have hurt others because they don’t know how to love themselves. Maybe they are trapped in darkness and need help to find their way back to You. You know what they need and you know how we can help. Help us to be more like Jesus - obedient to your command to love others as we love ourselves so we can love our ‘one’ the way You do.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CARMEL ELMER
I have attended UALC for nearly 25 years, but faith has always been at the center of my life. My mom was an incredible role model, demonstrating a trust in God that surpassed any circumstance. I will always be grateful for her incredible example of faith, and I pray that one day, my children will say the same about me.
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