Showing God's Love Through Actions: Do You Really Love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Love is probably one of the most abused words ever. People use it to emphasize how much they like hamburgers or to say how much they like a football team. I'm guilty of it. It really diminishes the value of true love when we finally find it. I'm not talking about that stupid teenage love that is basically just lust. I'm talking about the self-sacrificing agape love that we only know because of our relationship with the Lord.
We are given opportunities to show this kind of love to others more often than we realize. The problem is that we have developed mechanisms to ignore these opportunities in order to best serve our own interests.
We all have limits when it comes to helping a brother or sister in need, and most of the time, those limits are based on our comfort level. I have plans to catch up on my show or watch the game. Sorry, I can't be there for you. Basically, we are saying that a TV show or game is more important than the blessing the Lord gives us through meeting together and helping each other. Pretty lame.
Our priorities are extremely screwed up, and our focus is on meaningless things. We need to constantly analyze our choices and ask ourselves what our Heavenly Father will say "well done" about when we are face to face with Him.
All I ask is that each of you pray over this and let the Lord lead you into what He wants for your life. If He gives you a way to bless people through football-watching get-togethers, then praise God for that blessing. We are each responsible for obeying what the Lord calls us to do.
The love I have been shown by my Heavenly Father needs to pass through me and allow me to love someone who needs help. Showing God's love through actions means being on the lookout and recognizing that these opportunities are from the Lord. Maybe that will help us take them more seriously and at least consider a different response than selfishness.
Putting others first means looking for ways to make their day better, even if it takes your time, energy, or comfort. To pass on God's love through helping people, we need to move beyond occasional good works and adopt a lifestyle of intentional self-sacrifice and service.
Showing God's love through actions isn't just about doing something nice for someone. Helping others is not just a polite thing to do; it is how you show your love for God.
Do you love?
Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen
John 15:10-13
“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. "
