Committed Through God’s Love
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please help us to follow your example of love as demonstrated in the life of your son, Jesus. Please give us the humility to seek and accept encouragement in the times we feel we have no love to give.
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:9-11 (NIV)
REFLECT:
As it relates to how each of us may impact those around us, there are intentions and there are actions. For the sake of time and lines on this page, I am going to focus on intentions and actions that are objectively, consistent with what God would be pleased with, good.
Speaking for myself, I feel like I often have good intentions. Thoughts run through my head regularly about ideas for different ways of caring for others or meeting a need currently unmet. Unfortunately, if left to just myself, most of my ideas, that are just intentions at that point, die shortly after arriving and rarely turn into action. I have no idea how many people are wired like I am, but I suspect when God set us up for being in community with others this might be one of the many reasons why.
I have had the good fortune of spending many years in community with other Christ-followers. Doing life with others has created a space in which I don’t have to sit alone with my good intentions, only to have my ideas fade into nothingness. When together with other believers, I have trusted people who can be supportive and encouraging. Not only that, but when one person shares a good intention, there is a multiplier effect whereby it’s no longer one person who may move towards action, but a whole group of people.
The needs of a broken world are endless. Though we can technically serve God and others alone, if we do it his way, together, our impact becomes so much more significant. If we do it his way, our intentions become the actions.
APPLY:
Are you bursting to be light in the darkness of this world but don’t know where to begin? If so, keep it simple. No act of love is too small. It can be as simple as asking a co-worker how their weekend was or inviting someone to join you for lunch. Follow the same principle as a Home Team and, who knows just how much love can spread through this world.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you Jesus for giving your life for us and for sharing your wisdom for living with us. We were dead in our sin and you showed us how to have life. Thank you and we love you.