December 31: Hungry For Love

Scripture
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”
-1John 2:9-11

John is very clear. To claim that we are living in the light while harboring hatred toward a brother or sister is self-deception. Love is not an accessory to faith, it is evidence of it. Those who walk in the light love others, and that love keeps them from stumbling. But those who refuse love are walking in darkness, blinded and unsure of where they are going, even if they believe they can see just fine.

This is not about perfection, but direction. Walking in the light does not mean we never struggle, feel frustrated, or wrestle with difficult relationships. It means we refuse to let hatred take root in our hearts. Hatred blinds. It distorts our vision and disorients our steps. Love, on the other hand, brings clarity. It allows us to move through a broken world with open eyes and a steady heart.

And this world is desperate for love. We often think of hunger only in physical terms, but there is another kind of hunger that runs just as deep. Mother Teresa famously said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”¹ She understood that there are wounds we cannot see, quiet loneliness, bitterness, and despair that gnaw at hearts. While many have food, many more are starving for kindness, patience, and genuine love.

As followers of Jesus, we have love to offer because we have received love ourselves. To live in the light is to become carriers of that love. As we walk with Christ, we are called to bring both truth and tenderness, pointing others to the Bread of Life through lives marked by compassion. In a world stumbling in darkness, loving well becomes one of the clearest ways the light of Christ shines through us.

Reflection
1. Are there any relationships where resentment, bitterness, or unresolved hurt may be dimming the light of Christ in your life?

2. How does choosing love, especially when it is difficult, help you see more clearly and walk more faithfully with Jesus?

3. Who around you might be quietly hungry for love and encouragement, and how could you reflect the light of Christ to them this week?

Prayer
Ask God to search your heart and reveal anything that is keeping you from walking fully in His light. Thank Him for the love you have received through Jesus, and ask for grace to extend that same love to others, even when it feels difficult.