Truth About…

1 John 4:²⁰ “If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?”

Imagine someone says to you, ‘I like you, but I hate your children’, how would you take to that? Will the person be welcome in your home? All of us can relate to this either as parents or as a child to someone. Someone is claiming to love your father, but the person hates you, how will you take to that? Or imagine someone visits your home and says, ‘I like you and I like to hang out with you because you are such a great person. But I cannot stand these your children, they are rascals.’ I am certain that your countenance will change and if you are like me, you would walk the person out of your house. You cannot love me if you do not love my children, it is impossible. It is strange to see people that claim to love God but cannot stand God’s children.

How can you love the God you cannot see, when you cannot love the man that you can see? You cannot love the man you can see but you can sing praises to the God you cannot see. God says, something is wrong with that. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with singing praises to the God you cannot see. However, your connection to the God you cannot see should influence your connection with the men you can see. Similarly, your connection with the men you can see should be influenced by your connection with the God you cannot see. So, if you find that you struggle with loving people, relating with people, just being with people – particularly God’s people, you need to check what is going on with you. You need help because these are God’s children. No child is perfect. can any parent reading this today claim to have a child that is a hundred percent perfect? But you love them anyway.

It is Father’s Day and your child brings you a drawing he has made of you. In the drawing, your head is huge and a stick figure for a body. Do you criticize that drawing? Would you say to your child, ‘what is this? Is this my head? Are you insulting me, your father?’ You do not say that because the drawing is beautiful to you. Even in our weaknesses, our attempt to serve God is beautiful to God. It is! John 8:⁴³ “Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!” This is huge! They could hear the sound but they could not hear the words Jesus was speaking and Jesus expounded it to reveal the why.

John 8:⁴⁴ “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Two things you have to know about the devil; firstly, the devil is a liar, Jesus said so. You cannot trade with the devil; he is going to lie and trick you. You cannot join any club or society and think the devil will give you a good deal. You are coming out short even by the time you are joining. Secondly, the devil is a murderer [please read John 10:10].

Prayer: Father, let my love for You be manifest in my love for God’s people, in Jesus Name. Amen!