ARE YOU FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHRIST?

SCRIPTURE:
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue 
but with actions and in truth.  
(1 John 3:18)
 
MEDITATION:
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Your walk talks and your talk talks, 
but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.”?
It makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
We have all been around ‘those people’ 
who promise to do things, but never follow through.
They talk a good game, 
but when it's time to follow up, they are not dependable.

We see people who claim to be followers of Christ, 
but their actions are far from mimicking the things of Christ.
These people are often called hypocrites and the scriptures tell us 
there is no place for hypocrites and liars in Heaven.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you HYPOCRITES! You shut 
the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do 
not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."
(Matthew 23:13)
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually 
immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and ALL LIARS—they 
will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 
(Revelation 21:18)

The moment we come to Christ, the scriptures tell us 
that God gives us a supernatural love in our hearts by way of the Holy Spirit.
If we are missing this supernatural love, 
then how can we claim to be followers of Christ?

Saying we have this kind of love does not validate its existence.
The only way to confirm this love 
is to see it in our actions, words, and attitudes.
Some think that if they say it loud enough and enough times, then it is true.

Being adamant is a tactic often seen in those trying to convince others, 
and probably themselves as well.
If we truly belong to the Lord, and someone challenges the authenticity 
of our relationship with Him, the love within us will cause us to respond 
in a loving way and not with signs of anger.

The Lord is not only the author of love, He IS love, and if we are 
true followers of Him, then others should see this love in us.
Love does more to solve our problems than anything else. 
Of all the gifts God offers His children, love is the greatest. 
Of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, love is the first.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, 
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things 
there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

ACTION:
Do you love others as Christ loves you?
Do you make promises and fail to follow through?
When you see others in need, do you sincerely offer to help,
or do you think that someone else should help?
If you claim to be a follower of the Lord, 
then make sure others can see His love in you.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your consistent and never-ending 
love for me. Help me to love others in the same way You love me, 
and not just a very shallow love in my relationship with them. Teach 
me the importance of dependability and following up whenever I 
make promises to help others. Help me to be sensitive to the needs 
of others and look for opportunities to go out of my way to help. 
Convict me of any hypocritical actions or words in me,  so that I 
can confess them to You and ask You to help me eliminate them.”