LOVE IS AN ACTION WORD
BIBLE PASSAGE:
Dear children, let us not love with words
or tongue, but with actions and in truth.
(1 John 3:18)
MEDITATION:
How would you describe love? Chances are, if you asked five
people to describe love, you would get five different descriptions.
Some would say love is a commitment. Others would say love is
an emotional attachment to another person. You might hear love
described as faithfulness to a spouse. Some equate love to sex, and
others say it is providing for your family. However, some may say
that love is described in one word, God.
Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love.
(1 John 4:8)
No matter what description you like best, the scriptures tell us
that ‘love’ is an action word. It doesn’t mean that saying we love
someone is insincere, but love needs to be ‘shown’ as well. Those
who are followers of Jesus should mimic the love He showed to
others (and to God the Father).
God showed His love for us when He sent His Son to die on the
cross, and Jesus echoed the love of God when He made the choice
to sacrifice Himself for our sins. We should learn to love others
as God loves us.
As an example of our lack of love, someone may offend us and
our response is to ‘write them off’ as a friend (and sometimes even
as a family member). Even worse, we might tell others about what
they did in our attempt to change their opinion of the person in a
negative way. At the same time, we want them to think more highly
of us.
Is that the kind of love God showed for us? No, it isn’t! God’s
love is greater than our mistakes and He expects His followers
to show the same kind of love for others that He has for them,
and us.
Whenever we are saved, we are given a supernatural love that
is driven by the Holy Spirit. The scriptures tell us that, how we
love one another, is one confirmation of our authenticity as a
Christian. Of all the gifts God offers His children, love is the
greatest. Of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, love is first. Love
can solve problems when nothing else works.
When the scriptures tell us to love “in truth”, it means we need
to have a sincere love for others. The sincerity of our love can
be measured by how we respond to, those who have wronged us
in some way, those who do the things we don’t like, and those we
have prejudices against. True love includes, having a willingness
to sacrifice winning a disagreement, because keeping the peace
and maintaining a relationship is more important to us.
Jesus tells us that when we don’t love Him as we should,
we will struggle with being obedient to God the Father.
If we are lacking in obedience, then we need to re-assess
the depth of our love of the Lord.
Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the
Father who sent me.
(John 14:24)
Look at the following scriptures regarding love. They give us
valuable information about how love defines our status for
eternity. We are either children of God, or children of Satan.
Without love for one another, we are on a path that leads to
death (condemnation and eternal separation for the Lord).
This is how we know who the children of God are
and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who
does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is
anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
(1 John 3:10)
We know that we have passed from death to life,
because we love each other. Anyone who does
not love remains in death.
(1 John 3:14)
In Romans, we are told that the level of love we have in our hearts
is an indication of how much we are allowing the Holy Spirit to be
in control of all we do and say. If we are not influenced by the Holy
Spirit, then we have either not received the Holy Spirit from God,
or we are suppressing His activity due to our selfishness and lack of
humility. That may sound like a strong statement, but look at what
the scriptures tell us:
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s
love has been poured out into our hearts through
the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:5)
ACTION:
How are you doing with God’s command to love others? Do you
look for opportunities to show others you love them? Do you spend
any time thinking about how you can show someone you care about
them without expecting anything (including love) in return? When is
the last time you made a phone call, or sent a text/card/email just to
encourage someone else? God may be answering someone’s prayer through you!
Maybe there is someone who needs transportation (to church, doctor, etc.)
and you can show love by offering to take them where they need to go.
Perhaps you can take a meal to someone who is sick or disabled. Or,
how about showing love by forgiving someone who has wronged you?
When is the last time you encouraged someone (including anyone who
is not in your close circle of friends)?
How many of these ‘evidences of love’
do you have, and how many are missing?
Love,
– does no harm to a neighbor (not rude; does not gossip)
– is patient (does not have to be the center of attention)
– is kind (enjoys encouraging others)
– does not envy (glad when others are blessed)
– does not boast (not a braggart; doesn’t have to outdo others)
– is not prideful (is not egotistical)
– does not delight in evil (has remorse for sinning)
– rejoices in the truth (is honest, and considerate of others)
– has self-discipline (is not controlled by fleshly desires)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me so much that You
sent Your Son to the cross for my sins. Teach me to love others
in the same way You love me. Help me to show others my love
for them through my actions. Create in me a forgiving heart,
and remind me of how You forgive me for my sins (which are
committed against You). Develop real love in my heart – a love
that is active and forgiving.”
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