3 Day Devotional: The Authority of Love - Day 1

Scripture: Mark 2:3-5
3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Reflection:
Before Jesus changed the man’s condition, He restored his identity. Jesus didn’t start with what was broken. He started with relationship. He called him Son. That is the authority of love — it names you before it fixes you.

Many of us have been called everything except who we really are. Failure. Mistake. Burden. Disappointment. But when Jesus sees you, He starts with belonging. He calls you His own. Love with authority does not wait for you to get better before it claims you. It claims you so you can become better.

Today, sit with this truth: You are not defined by your worst moment. You are defined by the One who calls you His.

Fasting Practice:
Every time you are tempted to rehearse shame, failure, or insecurity — replace it with:
“I belong to Jesus.”

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for calling me Yours. Help me not to define myself by my past, my mistakes, or my fears. Remind me today that my identity is in You. Help me live like someone who truly belongs to You. Amen.