Lyrics
Verse 1
Let me be filled
With kindness and compassion for the one
The one for whom You loved
And gave Your Son
For humanity
Increase my love
Chorus
Help me to love with open arms
Like You do
A love erases all the lines
And sees the truth
Oh, that when they look in my eyes
They would see You
Even in just a smile
They would feel the Father's love
Verse 2
Oh, how You love
From the homeless and the famous
And in between
You formed us
You made us carefully
'Cause in the end
We're all Your children
Chorus (Repeat)
Bridge
Let all my life tell of who You are
The wonder of Your never-ending love
Let all my life tell of who You are
You're wonderful and such a good Father
Chorus (Repeat)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"For the One" asks for a specific kind of compassion, kindness aimed at "the one" for whom God gave his Son, tying the request for personal love directly to a familiar description of sacrificial divine love. That framing makes the song's request for compassion a response to God's own demonstrated love rather than an independently generated virtue.
Its chorus asks for a love that "erases all the lines," language suggesting removal of social or personal distinctions typically used to categorize people. Naming the hoped-for effect, that others would see God rather than the singer when looked at, shifts the song's focus away from personal reputation toward transparent reflection of divine character.
A second verse widens that love across every social category, homeless and famous alike, grounding equal worth in shared, careful creation by the same Maker. Rooted in contemporary worship's emphasis on compassion as worship, the song functions as a prayer for Christlike love, repeating its central request that God's own care become visible through the singer's ordinary interactions.
Related Scripture
- John 3:16 Describes God giving his Son out of love for the world, directly echoed in the song's opening description of love for "the one."
- 1 John 4:7-8 Instructs believers to love one another because love comes from God, echoed in the song's request to love others as God does.