Two-minute read.
Love’s strength defeats hatred’s strife. A single scroll through social media reveals the power of hate to inspire wickedness in people. Feeding the powerful emotion allows it to control us, giving the devil a foothold in our lives and leading us down crooked paths. Jesus gave us a new way to live, defining love and showing us how to apply it to our lives.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
To defeat hate, we must first understand love. An action verb, love has movement. Enduring affection requires us to have patience, respond with kindness, and avoid becoming proud and arrogant; instead, we should lead with humility. Always seeking the truth, love never ends; it forgives quickly. We experience and share it because of our divine relationship with the Savior.
Love, like faith, requires a choice. God gave us free will because He understands that for love to flourish, we must choose it. To experience eternal life, we must place our faith in Jesus, the starting point of love. Once we begin following the Savior, we start to understand love. The more we study Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, the more we will understand the nature of unconditional love. As we grow in knowledge, we will also grow in love.
In every circumstance, you have a choice: love or hate. Each day, you choose which one you will feed by what you allow into your heart, mind, body, and soul. Turn to the Savior, let His Spirit guide and direct your actions, and become known for your love as we know Jesus for His.
Journal Question:
How have you experienced love defeating hate?
How has knowing Jesus taught you about love?
In what ways can you cover someone else’s sin with love today?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for teaching us about love and sending Jesus to set an example for us. Please help us guard our hearts and minds from anything that would fuel hatred, fill our souls with Your divine love, and enable us to share it with the world.
IJNIP. Amen
AMEN!!!