limitless love

Every morning when we get up and get out of bed, we have the ability to choose who and how we are going to love. What do you choose? Do you choose to love the people you love all the time, like your family, friends, and co-workers? Or do you choose to love everyone?

I will be the first to admit. It's really hard to choose to love everyone. I've struggled with that my entire life up until the past year or so. I struggle with it because we are humans. It's impossible for every persons path that I cross in day to please to me. Not everyone can make decisions that are going to make my life better.

I believe a huge part of choosing to love others is not setting expectations for them and understanding that people are not perfect. It's never up to someone else to make the decision on whether or not we love them. It's up to us. It's our choice.

Why is this important anyways?

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know here they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. (1 John 2:9-11)

Are you living in the light or the darkness right now?

When we choose to love others, nothing will make us stumble when we live in the light. If we continue to hate on others and choose not to love them, we walk around in the darkness and are blinded.

John's words focus on the attitude that causes us to ignore or despise others, to treat them as irritant, competitors, or enemies. Christian love is not a feeling but a choice. We can choose to be concerned with people's well-being and treat them with respect, whether or not we feel affection towards them. If we choose to love others, God will help us express our love.

My challenge for you is to come up with an answer to this question: Are you living in the light or the darkness based upon how you love? You have the ability to live in the light right now and to be a light for others. There are a lot of people all across the world right now who need light.

Shine brightly today and don't put a limit on who you love.