1 John 4:7-11
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Jesus asked us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That pre-supposes you love yourself. How do we know how to love? Because God set the example. God entered the world as a man in the form of His Son Jesus and offered himself in our place so we could have eternal life. That is the example of what love is and does. Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Love is not just a feeling, it is also action. Remember the definition of love as “acting intentionally in sympathetic response to others, including God, to promote well being.” So there is action involved.
How are we to love one another? Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves. What actions do we take to love our neighbor? Do we need to listen better? Do we need to notice whether things are being done. We have some elderly neighbors. One of the things that happened last winter was we noticed that they did not clean their driveway after it snowed. That was very out of character. We also realized that we had not seen them for a few days. Also out of character. Clayton and I began the task of shoveling our way to their door to see if everything was alright. Thank God they were OK but just not feeling well enough to clean the driveway. It became apparent that we need to maintain the driveway. Most times, it is not apparent who our neighbor is and what their needs may be. It usually takes a deeper level of observation to see the needs of those who are our neighbors. Nevertheless, we need to be on the lookout for opportunities to love our neighbor.
In the movie “What Women Want” (2000) with Mel Gibson, Mel is suddenly able to hear what women are thinking. There is a girl in the office who feels invisible and unappreciated. She takes a sick day during which it seems she will take her own life. Mel remembers her internal conversations of despair and realizes something is amiss. He goes to her apartment to check on her. It is not actually stated but this move probably saved her life. Someone did notice her. Someone does care. That action probably saved her life. That is an example (albeit Hollywood) of loving your neighbor.
Today, be more observant. Take action in love. Look for people who need a kind word. Commit random acts of kindness! Love with abandon! God has placed His love within you! Share it! Be the blessing I know you are today!
Father, You taught us how to love. Make us bold to share that love with those you put into our lives. Help us to see others through Your eyes and know their needs. Help us to listen between the words. Let us act out that love You showed us. In your name we pray!