1 John 3:18 – My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

We should not love in word or in tongue, but rather in deed and in truth. In other words, it should not be a matter of affectionate terms only, neither should it be an expression of what is not true. But, it should be manifested in actual acts of kindness, and should be genuine instead of false. We can easily substitute talk for love. Talking about meeting people’s needs instead of actually meeting them. It has been said, “It is easier to be enthusiastic about Humanity with a capital ‘H’ than it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise unattractive. Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular.” What a sobering statement. Self–sacrificing love is required of all believers. This kind of love will cost you something. Perhaps it will cost you your time. Maybe even cost you some of your money. But remember, this kind of love Cost Jesus His life. It may never be necessary that you give your life, but certainly it is necessary to give of your substance. Christianity is a love relationship with God that enables you to assist others.

Challenge:

Today, as we reflect on the events of September 11, 2001 and of the horror we all witnessed upon the twin towers in New York City. Let us remember all those who rallied to the scene to help those in the most greatest of need. Those who selflessly gave themselves to save the lives of others did so without concern for themselves. They truly loved in deed and truth. If you take a moment and think back into your past, you will soon notice that God has used others to show you how much He loves you. Think about the person who led you to the Lord, or the one who taught you a spiritual truth that you still live by today. God wants to use you in the same way. He wants to utilize your abilities and your possessions to meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of others. The great thing about helping others is how blessed you feel for doing so. Your challenge this week is to look for the opportunity to meet someone’s true need. Whether it be a family member that needs a ride to work, a close friend who needs help around their home or even a total stranger that has a need you can meet. Consider how God may want to use you to provide what someone has need of? I am not asking you to enable anyone’s laziness, but to be led by the Spirit to meet real needs in the name of Jesus. Perhaps you are the very one God will use to supply them with their blessing. May God bless you and use you today.