SeniorSeeker
Active member
Love In Practice
1 John 3:17-18 (New International Version) "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
John is not content to theorize about love. He lets us know that God wants us to put love into practice. Therefore he states that hate is incompatible with a loving attitude, and it is even a form of murder. He says, too, that we should not love with words alone but with actions. John, of course, isn't against us speaking kind and encouraging words to each other. Words are an important part of sharing love. How would spouses, children, relatives, and friends feel if they never received verbal confirmations from us? Even John himself used words to share God's love with others.
1 John 3:16-17 (New International Version) "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
It's not likely that any of us will be called to die for another believer. But we most likely will be called to demonstrate love for someone in need. We may have the means to provide jobs, food, clothes, Christian education, a place of refuge, whatever. Instead, though, we prefer to live our own comfortable lives. Early Christians shared their financial means. To love others is a challenge, especially because it demands sacrifice on our part. Of all the places that love must be manifested (and though sometimes the hardest), the home is it. There are endless ways we can show our love to family members. Sometimes even the littlest things can send a powerful message of love and acceptance: extra help around the house, a nice dinner, a special family outing together, whatever. There are many ways we can manifest love. Love thinks first about others; more so, it will act on those thoughts.
Imagine what it would be like living in a home in which true love was manifested. What changes should you make that can help bring that ideal closer to reality in your home?
1 John 3:17-18 (New International Version) "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
John is not content to theorize about love. He lets us know that God wants us to put love into practice. Therefore he states that hate is incompatible with a loving attitude, and it is even a form of murder. He says, too, that we should not love with words alone but with actions. John, of course, isn't against us speaking kind and encouraging words to each other. Words are an important part of sharing love. How would spouses, children, relatives, and friends feel if they never received verbal confirmations from us? Even John himself used words to share God's love with others.
1 John 3:16-17 (New International Version) "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
It's not likely that any of us will be called to die for another believer. But we most likely will be called to demonstrate love for someone in need. We may have the means to provide jobs, food, clothes, Christian education, a place of refuge, whatever. Instead, though, we prefer to live our own comfortable lives. Early Christians shared their financial means. To love others is a challenge, especially because it demands sacrifice on our part. Of all the places that love must be manifested (and though sometimes the hardest), the home is it. There are endless ways we can show our love to family members. Sometimes even the littlest things can send a powerful message of love and acceptance: extra help around the house, a nice dinner, a special family outing together, whatever. There are many ways we can manifest love. Love thinks first about others; more so, it will act on those thoughts.
Imagine what it would be like living in a home in which true love was manifested. What changes should you make that can help bring that ideal closer to reality in your home?