“We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Latter works of the Apostle John are laden in love, demonstrating Christ’s call to care for our neighbor. As we love His children, we love Him. He’s told us that how we treat our neighbor is how we treat Him. We manifest His love, and it is how the world knows we belong to our Father.

The greatest of these is always love, of course. Identity, however, needs to be solidified before we can truly know how to love and be loved perfectly. I’m so glad John addresses this too.

How we perceive God determines how we perceive ourselves in relationship with Him. 1 John 3:2 creates so much clarity and peace for me, and allows me to love myself well, as He does.

John reminds us first that love is literally LAVISHED on us as God’s children. It encourages us in the instances the world is unkind. But John takes it a step farther as He reminds us that we are not only to love as Jesus does, but that WE ARE LIKE HIM. “Seeing Him as He is, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM.” We are literally a mirror reflection, like Him, AS Him. He in us and we in Him. We are the light of the world because THE Light of the World resides in us; abides in our spirits.

Love well today. We may not quite “know” what we will “be”, but we take great confidence in the love Dad lavishes on us and are encouraged through any offense. And, when Christ DOES appear, we can also be sure we will recognize Him because we are like him, loving and pure in spirit. <3