Growing Up in Love

Read

Matthew 5:48 "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Think

When you read this verse, you might feel a little worried. Be perfect? Nobody is perfect. You mess up. You get grumpy. You have days where you are not kind at all. So how in the world can Jesus say be perfect?

Take a deep breath. Jesus is not saying you have to never make a mistake. The word perfect here means something more like “grown up, or complete, or finished growing.” Jesus is saying, keep growing up in the way you love.

Think about a little apple tree. When it is new, it is small and wobbly and does not have any apples yet. But it keeps growing. Over time it gets stronger and taller, and one day it is full of fruit. It grew into what it was made to be.

That is what God wants for your love. He does not expect you to love perfectly today. But he wants your love to keep growing. Little by little, you learn to love the hard people, the lonely people, even the mean people, more like he does.

All week we have been learning big things. Love your enemies. Be kind to grumpy people. Stand up for the lonely kid. Welcome the ones on the outside. That is a lot, and you will not get it perfect every day.

And here is the beautiful part. When you mess up, God does not give up on you. He is a good Father who helps you grow. Every time you choose love, even a tiny bit, you are growing more like him.

So do not be scared of this verse. Let it be an invitation. Your heavenly Father loves fully and completely, and he is helping you grow up to love like that too. You are becoming who you were designed to be.

Keep growing. God is not finished with you yet, and that is good news.

Apply

Grow a little today – Pick one way your love can grow, like being patient with a sibling or kind to someone you find annoying. You will not be perfect, and that is okay. Just grow a little.

Pray

God, thank you that you do not expect me to be perfect right away. Thank you for helping me grow. Please help my love get bigger and stronger every day so I become more like you. In Jesus' name. Amen.