Above All (— Joel & Victoria Osteen)

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Above All

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers…"
(I Peter 4:8, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

So often, people try to make others fit into their mold and be just like them. We think, "If they would just change, then I wouldn't get upset. If they would just do it the way I want, then they wouldn't get on my nerves." But really, we need to give people room to be who God created them to be. Life is too short to spend it trying to fix everybody. Sure, we should encourage people and help them grow and come up higher. But we have to come to the point where we step back and say, "All right, this is who God made them to be, and I'm going to accept them the way they are. Just because they don't have my same strengths, I'm not going to let that frustrate me." We have to choose love every day because love covers over our differences and offenses. Love is what allows us to appreciate what others bring into our lives, and it brings us together in unity.

Today, above all, choose love. Choose to focus on the things that make your relationships stronger because in the end, love is all that remains.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I choose to set my heart and mind on You. I choose to love others the way You have commanded. Give me the strength to walk in Your ways and understand Your love more each day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.