This is how we know what love
is because Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down
our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions
and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the
love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with
words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)
While writing this I was reminded of the “Love is…” cartoon
comic strip that became popular in the 1970s.
The cartoon series originated from love notes the writer wrote to her
future husband. Each cartoon depicted a boy and a girl with a catchy phrase on
what love is. I don’t read the newspaper
any longer, but I understand the series is still running some 40+ years later.
Well, over 2000
years ago, long before the cartoon series started running, God told us what
love is. The above verse gives us a
clear definition - the laying down of our life for someone else. And God not only told us what love is, He
demonstrated it. Jesus gave us the
blueprint to follow by laying down His life, the ultimate act of love.
But God doesn’t stop there.
He calls us to love in the same manner He did, by laying down our lives
for others. Sure, we may not be called
to die for someone, but laying down our life also means to sacrificially give
up our time, talents, and resources to bless someone else.
As Jesus stepped out of Heaven to show us what love is, so are
we also called to step out of our comfort zone and show God’s love to others. Jesus put action to the word love and we are
called to do the same. Just saying we
love others won’t cut it. It requires
action. According to God’ definition,
anything less is not true love.
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