In their 1967 hit piece, the Beatles sang, “All you need is love.”
Jesus declared, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” as he addressed the Pharisees (Matthew 22:39).
We love because God first loved us, the apostle John explained (1 John 4:19).
And, God’s love for us endures forever, a psalmist wrote (Psalm 136:1b).
So, what does love have to do with daily living? Everything!
God lavishes his love on us. Do we acknowledge it? Do we receive it? Do we keep it to ourselves or do we allow it to overflow and bless others?
One of the groups of people we are to love is our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12 ESV). Loving other believers necessitates showing an interest in one another. When we do, we demonstrate that the other person is valuable. As acts of love, we show compassion, offer mercy, and give help, for example.
This begins by taking notice of others. Unfortunately, friendly interactions are not as commonplace as they should be. Have you ever, for example, been in a group where no one was talking with each other? Or maybe one person controlled the conversation and did not include the others? These situations can present a sense of awkwardness, create a feeling of loneliness, or cause a bit of frustration.
Relational barriers pose a problem for showing love as Romans 12:9-18 describes:
- How can we encourage and build each other up if we do not communicate?
- How can we rejoice with each other if we do not know what the other’s joy is?
- How can we mourn with each other if we do not know the other’s hardship?
- How can we pray for each other if we do not know the other’s struggle?
As Christ followers, we are to share God’s love with others. This means putting our personality discomforts aside and showing an interest in those God has placed around us. Once we get talking with others, we demonstrate that they matter, we learn about who they are, and we find some commonalities. The family of God becomes more connected.
As Christ followers, we are to be set apart for the glory of God. So let’s strive to live out Jesus words: “… all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV).
That’s what love’s got to do with it!
Practice putting love into action as you grow in faith using a Heart Training book.