The Most Loving Things You Can Do for Your Teen - 1 John 5:1-5

Having just said that love for God and others is evidence of salvation,John takes a moment to develop further this picture of true love for God and His children.

John first reaffirms that loving God requires loving others. He appeals to the reality that to be unloving to a child is to be unloving to his parents. One cannot love the parents but then neglect those most cherished by them. Since those “born of God” are God’s children, we must be loving to them as an expression of love for their heavenly Father.

But how do we show love best to the Father’s children who happen to be our teens? John says that there are two most loving things that we can do for them: “love God and obey His commands” (v. 2). Many love lots of things, but not God. As a result, many are religious, but not powerfully transformed. The first way to love our believing teens best is to show them a love for God that changes us.

The second way we can best love God’s children who are also ours is to obey God’s
commands. More than a comfortable life, excellent education, or athletic opportunity, children of God need to see our obedience. Live-out the greatest commission toward your believing teen. By your example, teach them to “obey everything Christ has commanded.” These are the most loving two things you can do for them.

The cool thing is that following these commands is not a burden. It is freeing. Trusting that Jesus is the Messiah leads only to victory (v. 4-5). Have you loved your born-of-God teen like this today? Have they seen that you love God more than everything? Have they seen you obey God even when it is difficult. There is no better way to love them.