Leading The Way - Devotional for October 9

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October 9, 2025

The Danger of Self-Love

By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.

Read 1 John 2:1-14.

God’s people are under an obligation to know the signs or landmarks that reveal whether we are living life at its best—living in accordance with the will of our Creator. John lays out three signposts for us in his first epistle. First, as we explored in yesterday’s devotional, we must consider whether we are obeying the will of God (see 1 John 2:3-6). The second signpost asks whether we are abounding in the love of God (vv. 7-11). 

Drawing from his authority as an eyewitness and apostle, John clarified that knowing Christ is not just head knowledge. Rather, the only way to know Christ is through the greatest commandment—and its second: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). It’s an old commandment that John reiterates again in 1 John 2:7-8 as he explains that light and love go together.

Tragically, self-focus and self-love have invaded our homes and churches. But we must understand that the greatest enemy of love is self-love. The most powerful seed of hatred is self-obsession. A loving person walks in the light of Christ, but someone who “hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9). So it is crucial that we take time to weigh our heart. Is there any bitterness, resentment, or hatred festering against another? 

Of course, there will be people who hate us and hate the Gospel message we profess. But that’s not our problem. I get hateful letters, but I just say, “Take a number; the line wraps around the building.” The more important issue is whether I am hating someone. If I am, then I am in darkness, and this must not continue in your life or mine. Hatred and resentment slip into our lives so subtly. That’s why the Bible calls it the “root of bitterness” (Hebrews 12:15, ESV)—it’s not a visible fruit. It’s hidden and deep. That’s why we must come to Christ and ask Him to reveal the places where we are not obeying His command to love God and others. This is a serious signpost. We must root out any hatred, any bitterness, any unforgiveness, in our heart toward others—this is the way to life at its best. 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for providing me with signs to grow in Christlikeness. May Your light illuminate all areas of my life and reveal those places where I have become self-centered. Increase my love for You as I rejoice in Your Gospel and grace every day. May this love overflow in love for others. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble” (1 John 2:10). 

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Life at Its Best, Part 2: LISTEN NOW

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Listen to Dr. Michael Youssef on today's broadcast of Leading The Way at OnePlace.com.
Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.