1 John 4:20 - Love in reality

Scripture:

1 John 4:20
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
NASU


Thoughts:

John is revealing our tendency to love in the abstract.  We often love "the idea" of love.  However, when flesh and bones are put on it, we find it more difficult.  Fantasy is always easier than reality.

Likewise, we fool ourselves into thinking we love God if we imagine Him as a loving being that would never disagree with us.  Therefore, how we love people -- even through conflict -- is a good measuring stick of how much we really love God.

This doesn't mean that as Christians we never have difficulty in relating to each other (our "brothers").  But loving someone and experiencing perfect relational bliss are not the same thing, though we often wish them to be.  Real love has some bumps in the road, but that is reality on this side of heaven.


Prayer:

Lord, let me love with Your love, today.  Not dreaming of perfect relationships, but loving in the here and now.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.