Weekly Devotion

September 20 2020

Devotion for District Newsletter
September 20, 2020
Submitted by Zach Beasley

1 Thessalonians 4:9
9  Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you
yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

Paul received the word of how the church of Thessalonica loved the body of Christ
throughout the region of Macedonia. Their love traveled beyond the local church body and
extended to all their fellow believers in the whole region. Does your church family love the
believers in other churches of your town? Too often, we hear of churches competing with
or slandering one another. That contradicts the principles of the bible.

Love is like a virus in a pandemic. Once a virus is contracted, it can become contagious and
spread to anyone who comes in contact with the host. The only thing that can stop the
spread of the infection is something negative to its existence. Love is like that, in that when
love is perfected in us, we naturally spread it to others. Love will continue to grow and
grow until someone or something negative seeks to block it.

Paul told the Thessalonians to continue to increase in love for one another. He wanted
them to know that the only way to spread that love was to love each other, which would
spread to those outside of their fellowship. Remember that love is not contained within,
but it leaps outward to the entire world.

Prayer: God of all creation; help us perfect the love in our hearts so that all who come into
our midst may be infected with the essence of Christ, our Lord; Amen.