Love for God Requires Loving Others

I grew up in southwest Kansas, where the wind never seems to stop blowing. But even that didn’t prepare me for the gusts I experienced when my family vacationed in Kauai, Hawaii. I was 18, my little brother was just 9, and one day we visited the island’s breathtaking canyon. The view was stunning, but the wind was something else entirely. As we made our way to the overlook, we struggled just to stay on our feet. At one point, a powerful gust snatched the hat right off my dad’s head and sent it sailing into the canyon below. My mom, worried the same wind might shove my little brother too close to the edge, gripped his hand tight and pulled him in front of her, holding him tightly.

I’ve found that fear often feels like that wind. It’s relentless, overwhelming, and strong enough to push us off balance, maybe even close to a cliff. We fear the wind of failure or rejection or judgment. Left on our own, those gusts can make us feel unsteady, even unsafe.

But God’s love is like the steadying grip of my mom’s arms around my brother. Her love for him meant she wasn’t going to let go, no matter how hard the wind blew. It’s stronger than whatever fear tries to shove us around. His love secures us, keeps us from toppling over the edge, and gives us the courage to stand.

But this love that comes from God is never meant to stop with us. It’s meant to flow through us. So, I’d encourage us all to think–who around us needs a steady hand in the wind? Who is being shoved around by fear? How might we hold onto them with encouragement, compassion, or even just our presence? God’s love holds us steady, and we get to be an extension of that love in a world that is often battling the gusts of fear.