Daily text, Thursday, December 25, 2025 - Clothe yourselves with love, for it is the perfect bond of union (Col. 3:14).

“Put on love, because it unites everything in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14).

How can we show the love we have for our spiritual family? One important way is by offering comfort to our brothers and sisters. To do this consistently, we must develop deep compassion (1 Thessalonians 4:18). But how can we keep that love strong over time? By making a sincere effort to forgive one another’s shortcomings. Why is showing love so crucial in our time?

Notice what the apostle Peter wrote: “The end of all things is near. Therefore, have deep love for one another” (1 Peter 4:7, 8). As the end approaches, what should we expect? Jesus warned his followers: “You will be hated by all nations on account of my name” (Matthew 24:9). To continue serving Jehovah despite opposition, unity among us is essential. Satan seeks to divide us, but he cannot succeed when genuine love exists among us (Philippians 2:1, 2). — w23.11, page 13, paragraphs 18–19.

According to 1 Peter 4:8, what kind of love is required? Give an example.

Let us take a closer look at Peter’s words. At the beginning of verse 8, Peter describes the quality of love we should display—“intense love.” The Greek term used here conveys the idea of something that is stretched or extended. The latter part of the verse explains the effect of this kind of love: it covers many sins. In other words, love can be compared to a fabric that stretches far enough to cover not just a few faults, but a large number of them. In this sense, covering means forgiving. Just as fabric hides a stain, love helps us overlook the weaknesses and imperfections of others.

What results when our love for others remains strong? (Colossians 3:13)

Our love for fellow believers should be so powerful that it moves us to forgive their errors, even when doing so is not easy (see Colossians 3:13). When we forgive, we demonstrate the strength of our love and our desire to please Jehovah. But what else can help us ignore minor faults and irritating behaviors?

What additional step can help us overlook small mistakes? Give an example.

One helpful approach is to concentrate on the positive qualities of others instead of their flaws. Imagine you are enjoying a pleasant moment with a group of brothers and sisters and decide to take a group picture. To make sure you capture a good memory, you take three photos. Later, you notice that in one picture a brother does not look very good. What would you do? Most likely, you would delete that photo and keep the other two where everyone looks happy.

Photographs can be compared to memories. We usually treasure the good moments we share with our brothers and sisters. But suppose that during one occasion, a brother said or did something upsetting. What will you do with that memory? Why not erase it, just as you would delete an unflattering photo? (Proverbs 19:11; Ephesians 4:32). Since we have many positive memories of that brother, it becomes easier to let go of a minor mistake. It is wise to keep and value the “beautiful pictures.”