Devotion: How to Love Each Other Better

“We are like a snowflake, all different in our own beautiful way.” ~Unknown

Every week, I meet with a group of ladies for Bible study.  Last week we did a group activity in which we attempted to tell the group something about ourselves that could help them love us better, help us grow more, and make us feel secure and loved both as a part of the group and for who we are as individuals.  The thoughts expressed by each woman were incredibly unique, reminding me how differently God made each one of us.

The thing that got me about this activity was the amount of thought we had to put into it.  We all needed to look within ourselves, at our own hearts, and be vulnerable with each other.  This made me realize that my needs are totally different from the lady sitting across from me.  Sometimes I think that because I enjoy someone, she must be like me.  I automatically go to a place in my mind where we agree on everything and like all the same things.  This is simply not true.

I thought a lot about what my friends said would help me love them better.  I know I can be more intentional and take what they said to heart.  The willingness of these ladies to share themselves has helped me see them better, with Jesus’ eyes, and to pray for them in new ways.  What they shared helped me see all the things that are different about them that I love, which in some cases were probably the very things that made me want to get to know them in the first place.

I think God’s creative genius is so cool, especially the way he created us.  I love all his creations, but I love people best, because we were created in his image:  “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 NIV)  There is a little (or a lot) in each of us that is like our God.  All the qualities we bring to the table give us a window into the awesomeness and creativity of our God.  He purposefully created a world full of people with differences.  He must have wanted to make things interesting and keep us on our toes!

Our differences make relationships lively.  Sometimes, of course, they don’t feel lively.  Complicated might be a better word.  But these differences not only show us God’s handiwork, they give us the opportunity to show off his unconditional love.  We get to choose to love others the same extravagant way Jesus loves us.  We make choices every day that separate us from our Savior, but when we choose to see lively rather than complicated, we walk in Jesus’ footsteps.  When we can see the beauty in our differences, as we do in each perfect snowflake God creates, we can see all the masterpieces around us and be able to appreciate the God-created beauty in each person.

Lord, help us to notice the differences that make us all unique.  Help us to look at our lively relationships and appreciate your handiwork, and to grow in how we love and relate to others.  Let us be thankful for the work you are doing in our lives because the differences in others challenge us to grow more like Jesus. 

Scripture for Reflection

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  (Psalm 139:13-14 NIV)

“For you are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  (Genesis 1:27 NIV)

Reach for More

This week, take a closer look at your people: your kids, your extended family, a friend group, or your own Bible study friends. Identify what makes them different from you.  Pray the Lord will use these differences to help you see him more clearly.  Make a list of these differences and then check back in a week to see how your heart has softened or grown in grace.

Carla Clemens enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband and four sons. A baby and toddler interrupt her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.

Photograph © Aaron Burden, used with permission