1 John 3:18
“My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love.”
There comes a point when we have to make a distinct choice. Either we just let life happen, which is basically the same as serving God our leftovers, or we can choose to run directly toward Christ, offering him our best.
There is such a deep beauty that comes with walking in genuine wholehearted surrender to Christ. Jesus is our Savior, he is our Brother, he is the best Friend, and we get to walk in that relationship with him forever.
How would your life change if you actually began to treat each person you come into contact with, as Jesus Christ — the person who sits next to you in class who won’t stop bugging you, or really rude kid on your sports team, or the member in your family who you can’t really have a conversation with without it ending in an argument or hurt feelings.
In Matthew 25 Jesus blesses his friends, family, and followers for the things they have done. But they get kind of confused. They say, “… when did we see you hungry and give you food, or see you thirsty and give you water? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or need of clothes and clothe you?”
Jesus’ answer surprised them! He responded, “… I tell you the truth whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
He is saying that we show tangible love for God by caring for the poor & those who are suffering. He expects us to treat the poor and the desperate, the hurting and the lonely as if they were Christ himself.
“This is how we come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears.
So today, as you navigate your busy school day, don’t just talk about love; practice real love.