Love Is a Choice

Bible Reading: John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:20-21

Charlotte was sitting on the couch doing homework when her little brother, Georgie, came bounding into the room. “Incoming!” he shouted as he leapt onto the couch, right into her lap.

“Georgie! Get off me!” shouted Charlotte and she pushed him away. Georgie fell off the couch and started to cry.

Mom came into the room. “What did you do, Charlotte?” she asked.

“Nothing!” replied Charlotte. “He’s the one who jumped on me, and look! He ripped the page of my textbook! I always get blamed for everything.” She stomped to her room and slammed the door behind her.

A little while later, Mom paid her a visit. “What’s going on, Charlotte? Why are you so angry at your brother?” she asked softly.

“He’s so annoying!” Charlotte exclaimed. “And he never leaves me alone.”

“You know that’s because he loves you, don’t you?” said Mom.

“Well, I don’t love him,” said Charlotte flatly.

“You may not always like what Georgie does, but you can still love him,” said Mom. “Love isn’t a feeling, Charlotte, it’s a choice. As Christians, we choose to love others because God loved us first and sent Jesus to save us from sin. Because of Him, you can choose to act in a loving way toward your brother, even if you don’t feel like it.”

Later that day, Charlotte was reading in a chair on the driveway while Georgie rode his bike. “Look at me, Charlotte!” he shouted as he raced around. Charlotte ignored him. She was still mad.

Suddenly, Charlotte heard the squeal of tires as a car rounded the bend too fast. Georgie was headed right for the road! Charlotte jumped up, ran down the driveway, and pushed Georgie off his bike and into the grass. The speeding car went up onto the curb and hit their mailbox. Charlotte scooped her startled brother into her arms and buried her face in his hair. Her heart was beating wildly.

That evening, Georgie told their dad all about the day’s excitement. “Charlotte saved me, Daddy!” he exclaimed as he hugged Charlotte’s legs.

Mom gently embraced them both. “Thank you for choosing love, Charlotte,” she whispered and gave them each a kiss.

–Laura Kuehn

How About You?
Do you ever have a hard time getting along with your brothers and sisters? Do you sometimes get angry with your parents or your friends? If you know Jesus, you can choose to act in a loving way toward others, no matter how you might feel. Because He loves us, we can love others. Choose to love, even when you don’t feel like it.

Today’s Key Verse:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (NKJV)
(1 John 4:11)

Today’s Key Thought:
Choose to love others