God, you love me
Stop.
Take a deep breath. As you breathe in say, “I love you.” As you breathe out say, “God, you love me.” Repeat as many times as you need.
Listen.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. – 1 John 4:12
Reflect.
“How do I know?” It feels like this is the real question behind every faith crisis of our lives. How do I know God goes with me? How do I know what God wants of my life? How do I know if I’m on the right path in my faith? How do I know if I’m treating people the way God wants me to treat them? With all these questions, God can feel distant. We can get lost as we seek absolute assurance. It’s almost like the more we look for something certain, the less certain we become.
It’s why I’m always grateful for Bible verses that try to keep things simple. It’s like a refrain that I can keep repeating, always going back to, reminding me what God is up to even when things feel messy and disconnected.
This verse from 1 John is one of them. How do we know where God is? How do we know what God is like? How do we know what God is up to? Love. The love we have for one another is how we see God, how we know God is at work through us, how we know God goes with us. When we live in a love that includes all, celebrates all, promotes life for all, seeks justice for all, we begin to see God among us.
It won’t be perfect. We’ll still have questions. We won’t always be sure. But God’s love at work in us – and our love at work in the world – will be the touchstone that keeps us grounded in who we are and whose we are.
Pray.
God, you are love itself. I want to live in your love without fear or reservation. Call me back to your abiding love. Send me out to love in your name. Let you love bring order and meaning back to my life. Amen.
Carry On.
What’s one tangible way you can love others today? Can you make a food shelf donation? Can you volunteer your time with one of our mission partners? Can you help a neighbor with yard work? Can you write a letter to a representative about an issue involving justice and equity? Let this act of love ground you today.