God answers prayers!

I am so excited to write to you about the topic of loving those closest to you with Christ-like love. Yesterday, a verse came to my mind while in the shower. I couldn't remember the reference, but knew that it said, "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." I meditated on what that verse really meant and thought, "That's how we ought to love one another - with truth and grace."

This morning in my quiet time, I was praying some scripture over certain people and certain situations. Again, the words of this verse came to my mind. I used them in prayer. Later, I began praying for my priorities today. I asked God to give me discernment on my writing time. "Should I write for SAGE today or focus on my book?" I moved out of my prayer time and into my study time.

Take a wild guess at the second verse referenced in my study! It was John 1:17. As I flipped the pages of my Bible, I landed on John 1:16 first because it was underlined in my Bible. I read it and knew what was coming next. I'm sure you've guessed it. Here are the two verses together:

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  (John 1:16-17 NIV)

Let me explain how this verse encourages me to love better. God desired to be close to us, His created beings. His wonderful, perfect, unfailing character and unfathomable holiness cannot be tainted with sin. God chose to give himself as sacrifice for our sins in the form of Jesus Christ. All because of his desire for us! His great love for us! We are blessed with Christ to give us the grace of forgiveness when we cannot possibly uphold the statutes of the law on our own.

So God gave us the truth of his love and the grace of relationship with Him despite our failings.

When we look at the faults of loved ones around us, we are acting as judge. This is like the law. When we harbor anger or just plain irritation toward friends, parents, or siblings, we are being law-minded. We can choose to love as Christ loved. We can choose the truth of Jesus as our source to work love into our lives and our hearts. The truth that only Jesus never disappoints. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. (see Heb. 13:8) God chose to extend grace to us through Jesus so our relationship with Him is possible and sealed, not dependent on our performance but on our acceptance of Christ.

Every time you choose to extend grace to someone, you are loving like Christ. Every time you choose to pray for that person, without judgment but with compassion, you are loving like Christ. (see Romans 8:34)

Bless your loved ones today with truth, grace and prayer!

Jeanette Edgar is married to her husband, Randy, of 15 years and a mother of three school-age children. She has been a Christian since childhood, but in the last two years has left the marketing profession to become a trained life coach and pursue writing and speaking. Passions include reading, traveling, hiking, scrapbooking, and pushing past complacency to grow in her walk with the Lord.