1 John 4 & 5

I am finishing up 1 John today. Chapters 4 & 5 have challenged and encouraged me. I have pulled several key verses that resonated with me...

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and know God. He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love. -1 John 4:7-8

I am challenged daily to love, not just my family or friends, but all those I come in contact with. People that aggravate and frustrate me, people who are rude and unkind...God calls to love everyone, not just those who are easy or convenient to love.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. -1 John 5:2

Showing love to my brothers and sisters in Christ by obeying God! What a wonderful blessing and instruction God has given us in this verse!

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. 1 John 5:4

Again, God instructs us that we are not to be of the world, we are to overcome the world. We should not let the ideas and values of the world influence us and draw us away from those of God. Through faith, we can accomplish this!

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. -1 John 5:18

What?! Not sin?! But I am not perfect!!! But God calls us to seek perfection in Him, and again offers His promise that if we are seeking perfection, He will protect us from Satan. He knows we will stumble and make mistakes, but if we are continually seeking His face, we should not be living in habitual sin.

1 John 3

1 John 3 tells us how to love one another as sisters and brothers in Christ and continues to admonish us to righteousness.

"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous." 1 John 3:7

Here John is reminding us not to be fooled by the Great Deceiver, not to follow the ways of the world and think that we can "get away" with living in sin. God calls us to perfection, to be constantly maturing and walking with Him.

John also defines love for us as children of God...

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16

Again, he is calling us to strive for righteousness in that Jesus laid down His life for us, we should do the same for others. Note he does not say we should "be willing to lay down our lives", he says we "ought to lay down our lives". God calls us to put aside our own desires and needs and live for Him and for others.

John ends this chapter with another one of God's many promises...

"Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1 John 3:24

1 John 2

1 John 2 contains instruction on how we are to go about walking in the light. At the end of 1 John 1, we are instructed to confess our sins. 1 John 2 goes on to tell us how to continue to walk in the light after we have confessed our sins.

"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1

To walk in the light we must:

1) Keep His commandments. "Now by this we know Him, if we keep His commandments." 1 John 2:3

2) Love one another. "He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him." 1 John 2:9-10

3) NOT love the world. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

4) Be cautious of the Antichrist/false teachers. "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." 1 John 3:18

5) Live in purity. "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." 1 John 2:29

1 John 1:8-10

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

We are sinful by nature, but God is willing to forgive if we just confess our sins. This is important because John also tells us in this chapter that refusal to acknowledge sin not only makes us a liar, but God.

Father God, help me to recognize the sin in my life and confess it to You. Let me always strive to live without sin, but let me confess what sin is in my life so that You may cleanse me of it.

1 John 1:1-7

I am starting a study of 1,2, & 3 John. Today I read 1 John 1:1-7. Two key verses stuck with me...

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice truth.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:6-7

God wants us to fellowship with Him as well as with other Christians, but we must be walking in the light-meaning pursuing a maturing a growing relationship with Him through the study of His word and prayer. God knows our hearts, we cannot just "talk the talk". He requires full commitment from us to walk in the light with Him, not just on Sunday or Wednesday, but daily. Every moment of our lives should be spent walking with Him in the light, looking for ways to glorify Him in our daily lives.

Lord, thank you for sending Your Son to cleanse us from all sin through His death on the cross. Lord, let me honor that gift by walking in the light and avoiding the darkness and all the temptations therein. Help me diligently guard my heart against the lies of the Enemy and know that all good, all light, comes from You. -Amen

My Home

"Every wise woman buildeth her house, but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." -Proverbs 14:1


What are the ways I can build my house?

-have a joyful attitude about my housework

-have a plan and schedule to keep my house clean and efficient

-have kind words for my husband and children

-obey God's word



What do I do to pluck it down?

-get frustrated with the children and respond in anger

-skip housework because I am tired or have over-scheduled my day outside the home

-be inconsistent with my personal devotion time


"She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not of the bread of idleness."-Proverbs 31:27


Laziness is a big part of plucking my house down for me. I have often chosen to watch TV instead of do the dishes, take a nap instead of cleaning the bathroom, go to bed early instead of folding and putting away laundry.


God has given women a wonderful gift and responsibility of being the keeper of the home. He expects us to give that task all we have. Working outside the home (as I do) does not lessen the importance of the task of keeping my home and does not reduce the amount of responsibility I have in doing so.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

My devotions this week have focused on the actions of a Christian and how those actions effect others and reflect on Christ.

"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." -1 John 3:18

I often say that I have good intentions but poor follow through. But this verse makes me think, how good are those intentions without the follow through. It's nice to think about calling someone to check on them or just try to cheer them up, but if I don't actually do it, how does that person know I was thinking about them? God wants us to care for one another, not just talk about it. I am challenging myself this week (and ongoing) to think of ways I can let my friends and family know I care for them. I am also challenging myself to follow through!

"Fathers provoke not your children, lest they be discouraged." -Colossians 3:21

This verse brought many questions to mind for me...

How do I speak to my children? (not always kindly and gently)

Do my words edify or belittle them? (too often, the answer is belittle)

How can I do better to be tender, loving and respectful of my children? (stop taking out my frustration on them, take a deep breath and count to 10 before I respond in anger)

Again, I am challenged to make my home a quiet and cheerful place. A place my children are comforted and encouraged, not discouraged.

Love & prayers to all!