Practice Loving practically.
“Love one another. As I have loved you, So you must love one another.” John 13:34 NIV.
My thoughts and comments today are about, “Transformative Love.”
Let’s admit a sad truth. None of us are as naturally loving as God created and commanded us to be. Our spiritual frailty traces back to our origin and natural bloodline. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, a poisonous disinclination to obedience misdirected the loving nature God intended.
Redemption is the transformational moment when God redeems your past,
restores your future, and recruits you to carry His Good News.
The Bible is assuring: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV. You are redeemed to be both evangel and evidence of God’s grace. The power of reconciliation is love. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12 NIV.
Once reconciled to God, you are empowered to touch hearts and change lives. Practice loving practically. Practice improves effect and impact. To the extent that you understand how beloved you are by God and others, you are enabled, even empowered, to love others freely.
Real love for God is expressed in the grace of loving others. Let’s consider some practical aspects of transformative love. Love can be defined as: “a purposeful and effective act of adding value to other’s lives.” How does that occur? The Bible says, “Serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Read Galatians 5:13-14 NIV. To be authentic, love must be practical and observable. People have loved me in practical ways. I have been blessed to have so many who loved me enough to add value to my life. They continued to invest themselves to help me realize more of God’s intentions for my life.
They spent time with me. They shared what they had learned, offering their wisdom gathered from experiences of both successes and failures. Their example spared me from missteps and mistakes. They believed in me. They expected better of me and encouraged me to a higher standard than may have been natural for me.
How then can you love others and add value to their lives? Simply stated, you can place a higher value on others. Think of others as highly as you think of yourself. Read Romans 12:2-4 NKJV. Treat others as well as you wish to be treated. Speak of others as you would hope others would speak of you.
Desire for others what you desire for yourself. Rejoice in their accomplishments as you wish to be praised for yours. Rejoice in their successes and identify with their struggles, as you welcome congratulation and comfort in your daily ups and downs.
When you allow God to love you, really love you as only He can, and when you choose and learn to be loving toward others, you will also learn to love yourself with humility. There is a great day coming of reward and blessing for what you have done in His Name and for His glory, and for the edification of others.
Jesus was clear about love, ”Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father . . for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in . . ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’” Read Matthew 25:34-40 NKJV.
Everything done in His Name will be blessed and bless others. Jesus will take your five inadequate loaves and too few fish and satisfy a multitude with plenty to spare. Love changes lives – yours as well as others lives.
My prayer for you today is to learn the power of love and generosity.
EDL Communications 2019
Website and archives: allenrandolph.com