Your Daily Devotional for August 31, 2007

 

August 31,  2007

 

 

An Active Love

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

 

1 John 4:7-11

 

 

A husband was coming out of anesthesia after a series of tests in the hospital. His wife was sitting at his bedside when his eyes fluttered open and he muttered, "You are beautiful." Flattered, the wife continued sitting beside him. Later he woke up again and said, "You're cute!"  "What happened to beautiful?" she asked. "The drugs are wearing off," the husband replied. Emotional love can wear off, but God desires us to have an active love. He wants us to show our love for others.

 

This past month, we have focused on God's Ten Commandments to us. We have gone through each one and explained how we can obey His commands. As we come to the end of our focus on God's commands, I pray that what we have seen has inspired you to live for God. The Christian life isn't centered on a list of rules and regulations, but on a relationship with Christ.

 

We also learned that God's greatest command wasn't given with His other commandments in Exodus. While He was on earth, the Pharisees questioned Him and asked what the greatest commandment was. He answered in Matthew 22:37-39, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." God's greatest command is that we love Him and love others.

 

One way we can love others is by being kind. We often teach young children to be kind to others, but it would do us all well to remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That is not only a well-known phrase, but it is biblically based! God desires that we show our love to others by being kind.

 

Also, we should love others by serving them. First Corinthians 13:5 says, "Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." The phrase "seeketh not her own" tells us that true love is concerned with serving others. When someone we love needs something, it should be an instinct for us to go out of our way to help them. But even when we don't necessarily love someone, we should serve them because God has commanded us to.

 

Last, we must love others by giving to them. When you say the word give, some people will automatically tune you out! But God desires that we would show others our love by giving to them. It doesn't have to be money, and it doesn't have to be something big. It could be a note to tell them how much you love them or that you're praying for them. It could be time spent listening to how they are doing, letting them know you care. It does not matter how much you give them, but that they see your love for them.

 

God desires that we let others see our love for them. How did those around you see your love yesterday? Could they tell that you loved them? Think of a few ways you can show your love to someone today. Ask God to help you show His love through your actions today.

 

Daily Bible Reading

Psalm 132-134 • 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

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