Sep 17, 2018
Because we loved you
so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our
lives as well. 1Thess 2:8
The most loving thing
we can do is to introduce our friend to Jesus, by giving our lives for them.
Loving is not about feeling, but about giving.
You know you love something when you are eager to sacrifice
yourself for it. Animal lovers don’t
just enjoy the affection an animal gives them, but enjoys the feeling of seeing
their animal happy when they do something to please them. People in love enjoy the chance to please
their mate, seeing their face light up when something kind is done for
them. Parents enjoy Christmas because of
the joy they get to bring into the lives of their kids, not just because it’s a
day off work… (well, maybe they enjoy Christmas for that reason too!) When you love someone, it shows in your
sacrifice for the one you love.
When you love God, it shows in sacrificing for His
Kingdom. However, since God owns
everything and needs nothing, there is very little you can give Him that He
doesn’t already own. There is only two
things we can sacrifice to demonstrate our love to God: sacrificing our self-centered desires to
pursue His desires for us, and sacrificing ourselves for others so that they
too can know God. Both are expressions
of love to God that He cannot have without our choice to love. By sacrificing ourselves for God & for
others, we are loving God.
Some simple examples of that are available to us every
week. When we sacrifice our own egos and
worship God unhindered, that is loving God.
When we give to the needs of the church and its ministries, that is
loving God. When we invite friends to
join us in worshipping God, that is loving God.
When we make a meal or help a neighbor or serve in a ministry, that is
loving God. Every sacrifice we make out
of love for God and for others is a way of loving God.
Paul told his friends in Thessalonica that he loved them so
much, it was easy to sacrifice themselves for the Gospel. That is REAL love for your brother. Their love was genuine, because it wasn’t just
for the people of Thessalonica nor for selfish gain --- it was for God.
We could use that reminder more often. If you’re married, love your spouse out of
love for God. If you’re struggling with
a parent, love them anyways out of love for God. When you’re not liking your boss at work,
choose to love them anyways because you truly love God. Let your sacrifice for others be motivated
out of love for God, and you won’t be so disappointed when it is not
appreciated or returned.
God loved us SO MUCH that He sacrificed His one son. Jesus loved you and I SO MUCH that He was
willing to die on a cross in our place.
Maybe we can love our brother, parent, spouse, neighbor A LITTLE MORE as
an expression of our love to God. In
most cases, He’s not asking us to shed blood for them. J
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