Have you ever let someone borrow something from you? Or maybe you’ve borrowed something from someone? Oftentimes, when one person allows another person to borrow something from them, it is an expression of trust. It can be angering or hurtful when the item(s) borrowed are not returned. Sometimes, it isn’t that big of a deal. In my house, my sister and I borrow hairbrushes from each other a lot. If a hairbrush isn’t returned, we could just go get it back from the other bathroom. But other times, it can be a very big deal, like with money. If someone allows you to borrow money, they are trusting you to return it quickly, and trust is very important.  

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Trusting one another and repaying debts deepens the bond between Christians and strengthens our love for one another. Love is the most important trait. Not romantic love, of course, but God’s perfect love. And when we are in that, our relationships with other Christians can be built stronger and deeper than before. John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” When Christians trust each other and love one another, and when we are open about our faith, everyone will know that we follow God, and it draws them to him! 1 John 4:10 says, “We love because he first loved us.” The purpose revolving around everything we do is because God loves us so much, and so we love him back. Sure, we could just believe in him and use our faith as our Get-To-Heaven card, but if you don’t love God, are you really saved? John 15:12 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We can love God, not just because he said he loved us, but because he was able to prove it by letting his Son die.

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If you had a friend who jumped in front of a bullet for you, I’m guessing you’d probably be pretty appreciative. And not just the, “Oh, thanks,” appreciative. Your thankfulness for what they’ve done would just well up in you—after all, they’ve just saved your life! Jesus endured something much more painful than a bullet, all because he loved us, and we can’t help but give him our gratitude for that.

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One way we show him our gratitude is by following his command to pay our continuing debt to love one another. Why? Because he first loved us—that's the point of love. But it is also important that the world sees us loving each other. It is imperative that when we love one another, it isn’t so the world sees us and how great we are—they will see us and be pointed toward the One from whom all love comes, God.  

Dear Jesus, Thank you for this day. Thank you for everything that you’ve given me today. Please help me to be a trustworthy person, and a person that gives others second chances. Please help me to love others, even when I don’t feel like they deserve it, and to pay my continuing debt because you loved me first, even when I rejected you. Thank you for loving me first. Amen.

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