Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. (1 John 3:10)
Expanded Passage: 1 John 3:10
He was the most eccentric neighbor we ever had. It started when I was mowing our lawn for the first time and I decided—being helpful—to mow a strip of grass on the other side of my fence that terminated at his driveway. He came screaming out of the house for me to get off his property . . . But that wasn’t all. He told me an elaborate story about his connections to secret federal government programs and how, if I set off a hidden alarm, a helicopter would be dispatched to this location for his evacuation.
I really didn’t know what to make of my neighbor. However, I did know that I was called to love him no matter his quirks. In John 14:15, Jesus tells his disciples, “If you love me, keep my commands.” When we know what Jesus is asking of us but we choose to do otherwise, we demonstrate that our life is out of harmony with God’s intention. Our lives must be marked first and foremost by love for those that God has graciously put in our paths to love—our family, our friends, and even all of our neighbors.
Being a child of God means adopting his posture of love for others. Hearts full of love enable hands to serve well. Who do you need to demonstrate the love of God to today?
Find someone to love just as God demonstrated his love for you.
Chris McFadden is pastor of Cherry Street Wesleyan in Ottawa, Kansas. He is married to his beautiful wife Suzanne and has two wonderful daughters.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
