Colossians 3:14 (NLT)

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”

I just Googled the word “love” and got back 7.8 billion pages to look at. Interestingly, “money” came back with 2.7 billion, “power” with 4.2 billion, and “life” with 5.7 billion pages. Google verifies what the Bible has been teaching for thousands of years: Love is #1.

Is your family a “loving” family? Does it feel loving from the inside? Does it look loving from the outside? If the answer is “no” or perhaps “not as loving as it should be,” then today’s verse boils down this entire devotional series to one simple, profound, beautiful, and incredibly challenging truth: we must clothe ourselves with love.

Clothing covers up our less than perfect bodies, right? Flabby tummies, rough skin, bruises, blemishes, birthmarks, scars…all are hidden away once we put our clothes on. The same can be said for love. It covers over our sinful nature, our prideful priorities, and our hurtful attitudes. The Bible teaches that love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) and indeed it does…but it also brings about unity, and that is something that every family desires.

In the end, as our family members interact with each other on a daily basis, all we need to ask ourselves is one simple question: am I loving my spouse/sibling/parent well? If I am, then carry on! If not, then knock it off!

APPLICATION: Take turns describing what you think a loving family should look like…and then talk about what you need to work on to become that loving family!