Perfect Love

Scripture – 1 John 4:17-21: ¹⁷In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) “Perfect love drives out fear.” This is a passage that reminds me I’m called to a higher level of life than the one I live on most days. To love “perfectly” is a goal I touch from time to time. I have been unable to sustain it for any length of time. Still, I need to keep it in front of me. I need to let the love of Christ pull me forward and lift me. Just because a goal is hard to achieve is no reason to re-work the goal. God’s perfect love for me frees me to fail along the way. That fear has been driven out.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will continue looking up. I will continue practicing love today. I will continue perfecting my own love even as I am perfected by God’s.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, this goal is beyond me. My only hope of achieving it is through you. Teach me to love perfectly today. Please keep showing me how that looks and how that is. Make me more like you this day.