Abound in Love (Part 1)
Getting your priorities straight
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And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (NET)
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Here’s something we don’t often talk about.
There’s an order of priority for the love we are to share, as believers.
For instance, in this verse we see that Paul prays that God would increase their love for one another and then for all.
We are to prioritize loving our fellow believers over the rest of the world.
Does this feel selfish to you? It did to me.
Yet, this is in line with what Jesus talked about.
In John 13 He said the world would know that we are His disciples if we have love for one another.
In other places we see teaching on prioritizing our families before the Church. So don’t think I skipped over that, it’s just not explicit in these two verses.
Anyway, this can feel a little radical.
But I think it’s sort of like an airplane oxygen mask: put yours on first, then help someone else.
Love God.
Love your family
Love your fellow Christians.
Love the world.
…In that order.
It’s really the only order that works. God’s love helps fuel the rest of this. We have a responsibility to our physical family. Then we have this responsibility to our spiritual family. And then, finally, the world.
If we get this wrong, we’ll burn out … or worse.
I’ve seen too many people disqualify their witness by messing up this order.
Let that be a warning to us all.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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