SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:11-24
OBSERVATION:
The key to healthy, holy living is LOVE. Not mushy, sentimental niceness, but selfless, sacrificial concern for the good of others. Love sees people as children of God in need of His love, mercy, kindness, assistance. And love sees ourselves as God’s agents to share these things with them. Our actions and reactions to others (like Cain towards Abel) reveal our own hearts. This is how we can know that we are living in/with Christ, by the changing attitude and actions we have towards others. If I am not more loving, more generous, more kind and compassionate than before, then I am still dead within. If a plant does not grow, then it is dead. God is looking for obedience, for action, for a demonstration of love. Words are not enough.
APPLICATION:
What if I made LOVE the test for my actions and reactions, the basis of my daily walk and conversation? How can I show kindness and compassion to: the person who interrupts me in the office, the difficult person who is challenging me and what I am doing, the person who is going through a tough time, my child who has made a bad decision, etc. What if I took the words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and memorized them, and then attempted to put them into practice each day (and note the results at the end of the day). How serious am I about this, about living and loving like Jesus? Am I prepared to devote energy and time to this, or am I morally apathetic (yes, love is a question of morality, not just niceness). Do I hate the opposite of love, which includes everything from indifference to neglect to abuse?
PRAYER:
Lord, these words are challenging my lukewarmness. Light the fire in my heart, make me eager and passionate for being loving! Amen.
The comfort I have to keep on going is this, that God mentors me by supporting me in these same expectations …
God is patient to me, God is kind to me. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
God never fails … boy, I am so grateful for that! I can have hope in showing these things because He abundantly showers them to me.
When I feel overwhelmed, like a child, I simply crawl back into my loving Father’s lap and rest awhile in His love … that gives me the strength to carry on.
Once again we read about the family since we are described as children. Little children have total trust in their parents. That’s what I need in my relationship to my Father. I need to trust and obey and do what my Father asks. Father knows best. Not my will but Yours be done. And if I put God first, my focus will be on others sharing the love of Him through me to those around me. Help me Lord to be an instrument of Your Peace. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit to encourage me on my way. Help me to trust and obey. They will know whose we are by what we say and do. They will know we are Christian by our love.
Love, love, love, love,
the gospel in one word is love.
Love your neighbor as your brother,
love, love, love.