Scripture:
1 John 3:16-18 ESV
[16] By this, we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? [18] Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Observation:
I was reading a little bit last night when I came across this scripture and thought…ok, I hear you, Father. I know I write a lot about love. It seems to be all through the Bible. In fact, I believe the entire Bible is a love story. GOD loves us so much that HE chases us through the entire length of time, asking us to give HIM our hearts. So, let’s dive into the scripture and see how that unfolds. In the book of 1 John, John wants us to know what love looks like. This is something he knows really well. After all, he was one of the first disciples called to walk with Jesus and also identified himself as the one that Jesus loved. So, walking side by side with the savior, he got to see it all. He was also the only disciple who was seen anywhere near the cross during the crucifixion. So not only do we see that Christ had a love for John, but that love was returned. The example that Christ gave John held on to by saying we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Now, in verse 17, we see what can be a distraction from expressing that kind of love. John says if anyone has the world’s goods and sees a brother in need and hardens his heart towards him, GOD’S love does not abide in him. We see something similar in the book of James when he says if you see a brother in need and have the ability to help, you should help rather than just wish him well and move on…this is paraphrased of course but you can look it up to check what I’m saying. Now, this stance from both John and James more than likely comes from a rich young ruler who approached Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life, and when Jesus answered him, he went away sad because he had great wealth and did not want to let go of it. John grabbed a principal from that encounter, and that stuck with him. Loving the world and loving Jesus are on 2 different sides of the love chart. The breakdown of this scripture is that you can’t love both and that love must not only be told in words but shown in deed. Love is an action word.
Application:
it’s pretty easy to see a heart of love in most people, and to be honest, the bible says that as we draw closer to the end of it all, we will see love grow cold. I’m not sure if you have been watching or not, but love is something we could certainly use a lot more of. I know it’s a topic I zero in on a lot, but I can’t honestly help it. There are so many who are suffering. Hurting people tend to need love. The question is, are we giving them the love they need? I think about the model that we were given in the book of Acts where the church community all had one purse. No one had anything that was hungry, and no one was homeless. When someone was hurting, the community met their needs. True selfless love. A group of people willing to share everything with the family of believers. I wonder how that kind of thing would work today. I wonder if things would change if when we saw someone with a need and had the ability to do something about it and did what that would do to society. To love without question, to give without explanation of return, to see a need and meet it, to love by action. I know some men that on Friday after they got paid went to Brahms and got some burgers. Then, they drove around handing them out to those in need. Yes, it was a small dent, but it was a dent in the issue of hunger. It’s also one of the ways that Jesus opened the hearts of those HE ministered to. HE met a need, and that opened the door to their heart. What I am saying is, let’s let go of the world and grab hold of the love of Jesus. This is how you will know that you are HIS disciples… if you love like HE loved. If you lay down your wants and desires and pick up what HE wants for you. HE wants you to love…not in words only. It’s easy to give someone lip service saying I love you, yet there is no action behind it. What if you couldn’t use the word love would they still know how you felt? Would they see it because you set yourself aside… or would they still be left with questions? Love is an action word, and true love requires that we set ourselves aside and meet the needs of others. If I have everything I need and can’t meet someone else’s needs, there is a problem, and it’s in my heart. Let’s practice selfless love today.
Prayer:
Father, we know that you are bigger than we could ever think or imagine, and your ability to meet the needs of others is so much greater than ours. However, what we are asking for this morning is simple, and I believe it goes right along with your will for us… give us a heart of love that is shown in what we do. If we see someone hurting today, let us take the time to meet their needs as we have the ability. We if see someone who is broken show us how we can do something to help. We want the world to see who you are through the way that we are with them. Your word is the greatest picture of love that we could ever see. Your son laid down HIS life so that we could have life. Let us not cling to that life but cling to the example that you gave us by laying down that life for the sake of others. We can say we love you all day long and walk right by someone in need, not showing any kind of love at all. Help us to show it today rather than speak it. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.