Many of Jesus’ disciples wrote letters to the early church. They wrote about different things to help the churches work together the best way possible, and they all encouraged the believers all over the world to love each other well. Because God loved them, they ought to love each other and act in kindness toward one another. And nothing has changed for us! God loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us, and we should love each other with the love we’ve received.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Did you know that the word epistle means “letter” and describes letters written by the apostles in the New Testament? Some of the letters in the New Testament are Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. The letters were written to individuals and churches.
Write a letter to yourself with advice you know you need to hear about living out your faith. If there is someone who is hard for you to love, or someone in your life who needs to hear about Jesus, write about it. Then follow the advice in your letter.
God, thank You for loving us. Please help us to love each other. Amen.