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READ: MATTHEW 22:35-40; JOHN 6:27-29; 1 JOHN 4:7-19\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s so much pressure on me\u2026I can\u2019t do everything my parents want me to do. I can\u2019t please all of my teachers. I can\u2019t be someone others look up to. I can\u2019t do it all. What does God require of me? How am I going to do that\u2014how am I going to please Him, on top of everything else?\n\n\n\nHave you ever had thoughts like these? You\u2019re not alone. Life gets busy, and it gets hard. In these times\u2014and everyday\u2014what is it that God requires of us? His command for us is a simple one: believe and love. The apostle John writes, \u201cNow this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us\u201d (1 John 3:23).\n\n\n\nFirst, we are to believe that God has saved us. We are to believe in the cross, the sacrifice, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are to rely on what He has done\u2014not on anything we do or don\u2019t do. Once we\u2019ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always there for us and that we will have everlasting life with Him (Romans 10:9-13). Isn\u2019t that wonderful news?\n\n\n\nSecond, we are to love. Because God first loved us, we are able to love Him and others (1 John 4:19). Once we know Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us, so we are able to love like Jesus does. Love our families. Love our friends. Love our enemies. See the world with His loving eyes, looking for those who are hurting and showing them His love.\n\n\n\nSo, when we start to feel overwhelmed by the expectations others have put on us\u2014or maybe the expectations we\u2019ve put on ourselves\u2014we can remember that Jesus has freed us from all this condemnation and fear (Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:18). God has kept things simple for us. He simply calls us to abide in Jesus (John 15:1-17), to live a life of believing in Him and loving Him and those around us. \u2022 Emily Acker\n\n\n\n\u2022 Do you ever feel like there is so much required of you that you are overwhelmed and you just want to give up? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of how much God loves you, what He truly expects of you, and how eager He is to help you?\n\n\n\nNow this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23 (CSB)