Daily Power #41

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

When I was younger, before I had children, I used to wonder how my parents could love me when I did something disobedient and, well, stupid. I knew they loved me, yet I still seemed determined to test that love. At those times, I didn’t feel like I deserved their love.

Even today sometimes, when we consider the way criminals murder, steal, and harm others, it’s hard to understand how their families continue to love them. But even the most hardened criminal or heinous offender is someone’s son or daughter, perhaps someone’s spouse, sibling, or parent. The people who love them somehow see beyond the crimes committed to the individual they love underneath.

While most of us don’t think of ourselves as criminals, we are just as sinful in our nature. Yet through the power of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, God sees beyond our weaknesses and shortcomings and regards us as his beloved children. His love encompasses us in a way that is not conditional upon what we’ve done. Similarly, we can’t earn his love with good behavior.

If we’re honest, we know we’ve sinned and deserve to be punished. But our Father’s love transcends even the worst things we’ve done. We are free to become new people, transformed by his Spirit.

Power Lift

Jesus, sometimes I judge others for what they do and condemn them in my heart. Help me to show the same mercy and love that you show to me to everyone I’m around today.