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When I was a little girl at Christian church camp, we learned a song called “Beloved, Let Us Love One Another” based on 1 John 4:7-8. To a catchy melody, we sang,

“Beloved, let us love one another,

For love is from God,

And everyone that loveth is born of God,

And knoweth God,

He that loveth not knoweth not God,

For God is love.

Beloved, let us love one another.

First John four seven and eight!”  

I felt dearly loved in those precious moments, producing a bottomless overflow of love to give.

In Colossians 3:12, the Apostle Paul challenges the Colossians to walk in a way consistent with their new identity in Christ as “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” with “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Here, “beloved” is “agapetos” in Greek meaning very dear; esteemed; favorite; loved by God or personally experiencing God’s agape or unconditional love. Take a moment to soak in the magnitude of that truth: that in Christ, you are esteemed, loved by, and a favorite of God!

Just as God loves us, we are called to love our children dearly. Although it can be challenging to demonstrate unconditional love, as we embrace our identity as beloved children in Christ and call upon the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to mirror the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience that define God’s love for us, and equipped to create a haven where our children can flourish, knowing they too are dearly loved.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to comprehend and receive the gift that we are chosen and dearly beloved by You. Please give us the wisdom, strength, and power to impart agape love to our children and to teach them the principles of 1 John 4:7-8. Amen.

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