Loving Well
By Matt Petersen, Wycliffe USA Vice President for Strategic Prayer and Marketing
Post date: Oct. 21, 2019
As a husband and father, I’m always struggling to keep work, responsibilities around the house and time with family in balance. I usually feel pretty good about the status of one or two of those areas at a time, but it’s a rare day when something isn’t falling through the cracks.
My wife struggles as well. She homeschools our 5- and 9-year-old boys, which can be hair-raising in itself. Then there’s the constant battle of laundry, dishes, sibling disputes and the piles of toys our 5-year-old so artfully scatters across every floor in the house.
We try hard to keep our priorities in order and not overbook our schedules. But despite our best efforts, by the time the boys are asleep at night, we’re often too exhausted to connect in a meaningful way.
Maybe you can relate.
Providing an income and doing chores around the house are important and practical ways I demonstrate love to my wife. But when I become so busy with those responsibilities that I fail to spend quality time with her, I’ve not loved her well.
I believe the same principle applies to my relationship with God. Loving him means following his commands and serving his people in practical ways. But it’s also critical to spend regular and meaningful time with him each day in order to know him better. Without that, I’m failing to love God with all my heart.
The Bible tells us that God is the very definition of love: “Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7b-8, NLT). Miraculously, although he controls the entire universe, God’s never too tired or distracted to talk. He not only hears our prayers and provides for our needs, but he takes the time to know us intimately. He looks forward to connecting each day and is eager to hear our praises, share our concerns and provide the help and direction we need.
That’s perfect love.
A Time of Reflection:
What’s one example of a way someone in your life showed you love recently?
Think of a time when you were so busy serving God that you neglected to spend quality time with him each day. What impact did this distance from God have on your behavior and performance? Did people around you notice a difference?
What’s one priority that you hear God asking you to adjust in your life and schedule today?
Don’t forget to dive deeper into what it looks like to love God and love people through our devotional!
Para leer el devocional en español oprima aquí.