Lent

Ash Wednesday

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

 

To love others seems so easy. A statement we hang on our walls or draw into notebooks surrounded with red hearts. However, when God calls us to love, he doesn’t always mean easy love. Love that comes natural to others who look, talk, act and love like us. That’s simple love. That’s not commandment love. That’s not love that even needs to be taught.

 

God is constantly reminding us that he loves every single one of us. The one’s of us that don’t look like us. The one’s that don’t worship or rejoice or mourn like us. That don’t read the same books to their children or live in the same type of homes or spend their money like we do. The one’s whose families make up an entire rainbow. This type of love can be hard work! It calls me and you to love everyone we meet like family. Like they are part of ourselves.

 

It calls us to put down my expectations that I am right and recognize that we are called to something larger. 

Prayer

Lord, I pray that all who hear this message will feel pulled to real love–love for a stranger, love for themselves, and love for You. May You teach each of us to love just like You do, without question or hesitation. Amen.

Today’s devotional was written and read by Wendy Wand.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.