Today’s devotion invites us live as God’s children would.
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Scripture: Ephesians 5:1–2
Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us.
The small ruler
Love is something I give when others deserve it or when I have enough left over.
The grace I receive
I can walk in love because I am already living inside Christ’s love.
Reflection
Paul says, Walk in love.
After everything we have seen in Ephesians, those three words carry more weight than they might have at the beginning.
Love is no longer something we are trying to earn from God. We are not trying to get another person to give us enough love to make us feel whole.
We have been rooted in the love of Christ.
Now that love can move.
Walking in love does not mean becoming agreeable or passive. There are times when love tells the truth. But also times when love draws a boundary, confronts harm, or refuses to participate in destructiveness.
Passivity allows the world around us to determine who we become. Paul has already warned against being shaped by the patterns around us.
Love moves from different direction.
When the love of Christ is becoming the power within us, we can approach disagreement without immediately becoming defensive. We can want what is good for another person without needing to control them. We can remain strong without using strength to dominate.
There is an important difference between trying to follow Christ’s example and allowing Christ’s love to work through us.
If I simply look at Jesus and say, “I should behave more like that,” I can turn love into another performance goal.
I am back to relying on my own power.
Paul has been describing something deeper. Christ dwells within us. The Spirit strengthens the inner person. We are rooted in love.
The source has changed.
Fear reacts to the world. It asks what might happen to me, how I will be judged, whether I am safe, or whether I am enough.
Love begins within the life God is forming in me and moves outward.
We still choose how to respond. But increasingly, those choices come from the love already at work within us.
That is what it means to walk in love.
Not forcing ourselves to appear loving.
Living close enough to Christ that His love begins finding its way through us.
A prayer of presence
Christ,
Your love is already present before I try to express it. I receive that love again today. When fear wants to determine my response, remind me where my life is rooted. Let Your love move through me without my needing to force it.
– Amen
A practice of grace
Think of one person you are likely to encounter today. Instead of asking what you need from that person, quietly ask, “What might love offer here?”
Consider this…
Where would love lead me differently today than fear?
Carry this prayer with you today
Breathe in: I receive the love of Christ...
Breathe out: ... love flows through me
Continue the journey
If this devotion helped you pause, breathe, and receive your place in the love of Christ today, you are invited to continue walking through the full Love Beyond Measure 31-day series.
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Which line from today’s devotion are you carrying with you? You are welcome to share it in the comments.