1 John 4: 12b if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.

God wants us to be filled more and more with His love for other people. He wants to perfect His love in us so others see Him in us.

There’s a lot of anger out there today!  Do you tend to respond with anger toward someone who is angry with you?  The times I have found that it is toughest to respond correctly are when I am already hurting inside or frustrated with my own situation.  When someone is rude or hateful, we tend to want to retaliate, but that doesn’t show His love for that person!

I have found the saying “hurt people, hurt people” to be true, so that is what we need to keep in mind when someone lashes out.  Do your best not to take it personally and let it roll off, don’t receive any hateful words spoken, and don’t retaliate with more hate-filled words.  Pray for them and ask God for the strength to just move on! Sometimes the best love you can show is not responding if you can’t respond with kindness.  It isn’t always easy to respond correctly when someone says something hurtful, but you will be better off in the long run if you just zip your lips and say nothing. Once words are out of your mouth, you cannot get them back. We are more likely to regret words spoken than words we never said. If God meant for you to say something to someone and you missed the opportunity, He will either bring that opportunity back around or He will tell them another way, but He will never send you out to be hateful. 

Is there someone that you know who could use a little extra love today?  Are they struggling or hurting, and maybe they could use the simple comment that you care and are praying for them?  Maybe they just need you to listen, even though they know you can’t say or do anything to fix what they are facing.  Stop for a moment and ask yourself what you can do today to bless someone around you with the love of God.  Start exercising, showing His love to everyone He puts in your path.  Ask Him today to show you opportunities to change lives by showing His love.  Ask Him to fill you with His love for other people, especially when you have someone in your life who just seems difficult to love.  God wants to perfect His love in you, but you must be intentional in showing that love daily.  Let’s strive to be so full of His love that it just naturally flows out to everyone around us.

Quote: “It’s in the struggle itself that you define yourself.”  ~ Pat Buchanan