We love him, because he first loved us.
—1 John 4:19
Helping Hand Home for Children, in Austin, Texas, has been a harbor for abused children since 1893. A child moving from their institutional custody into foster care or adoption is often cold and combative. Helping Hand therapists tell the new guardians, “She needs you to go first. You must show her she’s worthy of love before she will respond in kind.”
We’re not told what the tiff was between those gals in Philippi that caused Paul to write, “I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their difference and make up” (Phil 4:2). Hopefully, one of them decided to go first.
That’s what God did: “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom 5:8). “We love him, because he first loved us.”
Any thorny issues in your relationships? Go first.
Be the first to say,
“I’m sorry, can we start over?”