“Do everything in love” (1Cor.16:10)
Heavenly Father, you never exaggerate, but really… “Do everything in love? Such a calling makes the riches of your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit essential—like oxygen, water, and bread. We take this command seriously only because you first loved us—giving Jesus for us, and giving us to Jesus. So…
Help us love well when circumstances make it easy to be reactive, defensive, and angry. The drift towards resentment and payback is greased with Gospel-forgetfulness and self-righteousness.
Help us love well when people hurt and disappoint us, and when we see things so differently from family members, friends, colleagues. Fixing our eyes on people and pain is often much easier than fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Help us love well when circumstances reveal our brokenness, weaknesses, and spiritual immaturity. That’s not fun, but it’s an essential part of growing in grace. You are making us like Jesus, not making our lives comfortable.
Help us love well when our takeout order is wrong, the UPS delivery is late, traffic is horrible, guests show up early, it did rain on our parade, everybody caught fish but us, our spouse forgot again, there’s mold in our baseboard or squirrels in the attic. None of this is ultimate. Only you and the Gospel are.
Help us love well when we experience how little control we have over what people think about us, what our kids choose to do, and what tomorrow will bring. With more clarity than ever, help us see the occupied throne of heaven, and free us to savor the wonders of our “in-Christ-ness.”
Abba, keep us daily (hourly) alive to your tenacious, wild, outrageous, joyful, transforming love for us Jesus. So Very Amen.
