December 22nd 2025 (Copy)

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35

Reading a verse like this feels both beautiful and daunting.

 Beautiful: in that it is so simple- love others like Jesus has loved me. Some of Jesus’s most important words, one of his last commands before He went to the cross, a real call to His followers and how I should approach this life.

Daunting: in that it feels eerily impossible. Didn’t Jesus know how often we’d fail at this? That we are messy humans, who will find it really difficult to love to his standard… what if we get it wrong, too often?

As I sit on these words, what I’m left with is this: God is so patient.

 He’s so patient, and so gracious, and sees the most undeserved potential in us.

John 13:34 is actually a verse that I often say with my son on our rides to school in the morning. We talk about loving our friends in the same ways that Jesus loves us. And I know how often that will fall short: he is 4. The truth is that many days he’ll love the classmate who has the coolest monster truck, or is most willing to race him on the playground.

 But good parents are patient. Good parents play the long game. And good parents never give up on the potential and goodness possible for their kids. That is the character of God - He sees more in us and knows that loving like this- as daunting as it sounds- is also the very best and most beautiful thing for our lives.

Question to ponder: What potential does God see in you today?

- Lex Mcghee