What I Want My Daughters to Know About Love – Daily Devotional

A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast

The strongest relationships are built by two people moving toward God together.

We are made for connection.

We are wired for relationship. And it is within relationships that we don’t just learn about love—we learn how to love. Along the way, there is joy, discovery, laughter… and also heartache, disappointment, and deep pain. Relationships have a way of shaping us like nothing else can.

Over the years, we’ve tried to explain love in countless ways. Love languages. Personality types. Compatibility charts. While all of these tools can be helpful, there is one truth about relationships that rises above the rest.

Every relationship includes an unseen third participant.

If God is love—and His love is the highest form of love—then it stands to reason that He is present in every relationship we have, whether we acknowledge Him or not.

The Triangle That Changes Everything

Imagine your relationship as a triangle.

You are on one point.
The other person is on another.
God is at the top.

God is fixed. He does not move. But we do.

As both people move closer to God, the distance between them naturally narrows. As they move away from Him, the distance increases. If one moves toward God and the other away, the space between them grows even wider.

This principle explains so much of what we see in relationships.

Anyone can fall in love. But staying in love—especially in a world filled with distraction, temptation, and self-focus—requires something more than compatibility. It requires shared devotion.

Years ago, my daughters once asked me if I loved them more than ice cream… then more than my truck… then more than myself. Each time the answer was easy. Then came the question that stopped them cold:

“Dad… do you love us more than God?”

When I said no, they were shocked.

I explained that the reason I could love them the way I do is because I love God first. The more I love Him, the more capable I am of loving them well. Loving God most does not diminish love for others—it multiplies it.

That is what I want my daughters to know about love.

The person who truly loves God will be more capable of patience, forgiveness, loyalty, humility, and sacrifice. The deeper someone’s devotion to God, the deeper their capacity to love another human being.

Today’s Daily Challenge

Today, choose one relationship in your life and love that person in a Christlike way.

That may look like patience.
Forgiveness.
Service.
A prayer.
A kind word.
Or simply speaking love out loud.

As you move closer to God, watch what happens to the distance between you and those you love.

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Thanks for taking a moment to reflect today.

If you’re looking for gospel-centered lessons designed specifically for teens, you can explore Come Follow Me for Teens for weekly study guides, devotionals, and teaching resources.

You can also listen to The Drive podcast for more short, daily faith-based reflections.