A Holy Challenge

Posted by Karah

PAUSE

Find a comfy chair and sit quietly for a few minutes before you begin today’s devotion. Thank God for sending Jesus to die for your sins.

Think about your favorite sports team, the armed services, police, and nurses. These people all have one thing in common—they wear uniforms and their uniforms represent the people they serve. In the same way, when you trust Jesus as Savior, you bear His name; you represent Him. The way you live should call others to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8).

Read 1 Peter 1:22-23 in your Bible.

“By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. —1 Peter 1:22

Answer the following questions:
• Underline the word “obedience” (v. 22). How did Peter call believers to obey God?
• What does it mean that believers are “purified” (v. 22)? Explain.
• What does the word “earnestly” indicate about the way we should love each other?
• According to Peter, how are believers empowered to love one another?

RESPOND

Our relationships with others point to our relationship with Christ. Do we truly love others from a pure heart? Do we love them as He loves us? This may sound difficult, or even impossible, but this is the life God calls us to live.

• In your journal, create three columns with the headings God’s LoveMy Love, and Love Better. Under the appropriate heading, record ways God demonstrated His love to you, how you show love to others, and the names of people you need to love better.
• Glance at the names you listed in the third column of your journal page. Ask God to help you have the courage to seek or extend forgiveness in those relationships. Pray for those people to see God’s love as well.
• For further study on loving others, read 1 John 3:16-24.

BEHIND THE STORY

Peter used two different words for love in today’s passage: phileo and agape. His call for believers to love one another indicates a love that is genuine and strong. The word deeply reiterates this and connects with the idea that Christians “love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

THE POINT

Living on mission for God requires us to love others out of a pure heart, just as God graciously chose to love us.


Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged , , ,

2 thoughts on “A Holy Challenge”

  1. These are nice. Cann you send these teachings out via email? I have two daughters who have emails and who would enjoy these..

    1. Hi Lisa! If you look to the left of the blog, next to the Green & White banner, you will see a place to enter an email and subscribe to these weekly devotions. That is the best way to have your daughters sign up to receive the devotions in their email inbox each week!

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