The Answer Is Yes
October 21, 2026
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
1 John 5:2 (ESV)
How can you best show your family you love them?
What the Apostle John says in today’s verse may surprise you. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.”
John is making two points that go together. When you love God, you’ll love other people. And when you love other people the right way, it’s because you love God. So which comes first, loving God or loving people? The answer is yes. You can’t have one without the other.
I never thought about it this way. The greatest way I can show Teresa that I love her is by loving God and obeying His commandments. You don’t love anybody the way you should love anybody until you love God the way you should love Him.
If you want to be the best husband, the best wife, the best son, the best daughter, or the best neighbor you know how to be, just love God and obey His commandments.
Tomorrow morning, before you say a word to your family, ask, “Lord, what do You want me to obey today?” Then do it, even if it means holding your tongue when your teenager rolls their eyes.
If everybody loved God and obeyed His commandments, you wouldn’t just get along. You would get together, and the answer would always be yes.
Prayer: Lord, I want to love the people in my home well, and I see now that it starts with loving You. Show me one command I’ve been ignoring, and give me the courage to obey it today. Let my family see You in the way I love them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.