A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
June 6, 2008
Our hearts are linked through the love of Christ.
READ: 1 John 4:7-14
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. —1 John 4:11
Each new day, it seems, brings new ways our family sees the body of Christ at work. One demonstration of the fellowship of Christians sits on my desk as I write.
It’s a basket overflowing with letters from people I have never met. Since the time Our Daily Bread readers first learned of the car accident that ushered our daughter Melissa into heaven 6 years ago, we’ve received hundreds of messages from our brothers and sisters in the faith.
They’ve said things such as: “I grieve with you, my brother, and I will keep you and your family in my prayers.” “I weep at your loss.” “I hurt with you.” Many recommended books to read. Others sent poems or articles of comfort and hope. Some shared their own stories of bereavement as we discovered new partners on the path of pain. They demonstrate the principle of love among the family of God that’s commanded in 1 John 4:11.
Each of those gracious notes is different from the others, but they contain a common thread: Because of our shared faith in Christ, I find my heart joined to the hearts of the writers of these messages.
Hearts linked by Jesus create a chain of love that can encourage even the most grieving heart.
— Dave Branon
Source: Our Daily Bread
Filed under Our Daily Bread and tagged with Comfort, Heaven.
I’m reminded of the amazing network of love we have in Christ. When I see the warmth and kindness of church members toward one another, I remember the Lord.
In life, I find that those whom I “click” with become my friends. While those I find annoying, I kept a distance. I thought that it was okay. But in church, I learned that we’re not supposed to choose who we love. We are to love everyone. Loving people isn’t about who they are. Who I love shouldn’t be based on the benefit I gain from them either. As I watch the fellow believers, I realized the reason for their love: They love because God first loved them (1 John 4:19).