One way we love others,
yes LOVE others well,
is by loving God
and OBEYING Him.

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:2-3)

Our sin certainly has the potential to affect others. It almost always does.

In turn, we can bless others (and they can bless us) by our daily choices to obey God.

I think of generational sin. I think how easily we pass down sin and excuse sin by saying things like, “Everyone in my family has a temper.” Or how we talk disrespectfully to our husbands because we watched our mom do the same thing. Or how we think it’s okay to have sex outside of marriage because our family always treated the couples who lived together like they were married at family gatherings.

And I could go on with things like alcoholism and abuse.

Our sins affect others.

But so do our efforts to obey the Lord. Those efforts bring such long-term, thousand generation, blessing!!

Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations”

Your faithfulness, your decision to obey the Lord in what you face today, will not only impact you, but will bless your family for a thousand generations if the Lord does not come back soon.

Oh friend, soak that in. Let that be your marching orders. If you love your family and you want the best for them, seek the Lord and do what He says in His Word!

read1John

Note – this is a continuation of my study of 1 John.