February 14, 2026

LOVE AS A LENS

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness... Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.”

1 John 2:9-11 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Growing up in the church, I was naive enough to think that if we simply loved God and loved people, everyone would love us back. Experience has taught me a harsher reality: often, the most vocal and stinging critics of a move of God are those who claim to be part of the family of God.

The Blindness of "Being Right"

Early in my ministry, I hosted a community Thanksgiving service and invited 40 local pastors to participate as a sign of unity. One pastor sent back a page-long letter explaining why his congregation would never worship with us. He claimed our theology was "deceived" because our worship was too enthusiastic and not "reverent" enough.

Years later, when our church celebrated its 100th anniversary by performing 100 acts of service—cleaning parks and handing out water at hospitals—I was blindsided again. This time, colleagues from my own denomination attacked us on social media, claiming we were "wasting time" with water bottles instead of preaching the Gospel.

John’s warning is clear: You can have the "right" theology and still be blind. If our pursuit of "truth" leads us to hate or attack our brothers and sisters, we aren't walking in the light—we are wandering in the dark.

The "Walmart Rule"

Years ago, I developed a simple personal standard I call the Walmart Rule: I don’t want anyone in my life that, if I see them in the aisle at Walmart, I feel the need to turn my cart and go the other way.

I’m sure there are people who dislike me, but I have resolved that there is no one I need to avoid. I have chosen to forgive and love, even when others have been unloving. If we are "living in the light," we should be the easiest people in the world to get along with.

Choosing the Light

It is a strange irony that some Christians find it easier to love a stranger in prison than a fellow believer who disagrees with them on social media. We will go to the ends of the earth for the "lost," but we will "blast" a brother for a minor difference in opinion.

What if we chose to love everyone?

• What if we admit that we are all works in progress?

• What if we gave others the same "right to be human" that we claim for ourselves?

• What if we left the correcting of motives to the Holy Spirit and focused on the command to love?

When we choose love, the darkness loses its grip on our direction. We finally see the way to go.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, search my heart for any hidden judgmental attitudes. Forgive me for the times I have prioritized being "right" over being loving. Give me Your eyes to see my brothers and sisters, and the grace to love them even when we disagree. Let my life be a source of light, not a stumbling block. Amen.

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