Love, love, love. Our generation loves the topic of love. We see it everywhere from the movies to music. We are obsessed with the idea of love. There is only one problem with this . . . We’re not living out love. I have been guilty of expecting people in my life to love me in a way that I rarely give in return.
What’s the issue? Our idea of love is selfish. I don’t mean to sound harsh or negative, but sometimes we have to evaluate where we are at. The Bible is jam-packed with teachings on love; selfless love. What does it mean to love selflessly? Let’s take a look into what the Word of God says.
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: even in this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 (NKJV)
Did you catch that? The whole law is fulfilled in that one word. Wow! If we are to love others as ourselves, then we must consistently choose to live with our neighbors’ best interest at heart. To take things a step further, consider what Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia.
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10 (ESV)
That means we are especially indebted to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, often times it is easier to show love to a stranger than it is to those we are constantly around. The more often we’re around someone, the more apparent their faults and issues become, and we sadly, we tend to become increasingly less gracious. However, as you just read, we have been instructed to show an even deeper level of love towards those who are in the family of faith.
Here are some simple instructions that can help us grow in selfless love:
1. Seek the good.
“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” 1 Corinthians 10:24 (ESV)
This one can be tricky. We get caught up in our day-to-day life, and we get in a habit of only looking out for our needs and our desires. What about making a habit of looking out for each other’s needs and desires? Let’s make a conscious effort to know the desires of our brothers and sisters—and make it our mission to see their destiny fulfilled.
2. Bear burdens.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)
When we see each other struggling or going through something, we ought to go through it with them. It is easy in life to just listen to other’s problems, say a little prayer, and move on to handle our own issues. We pay good money and go to great lengths to fix our problems. But do we do this with the problems of those surrounding us?
3. Share all things.
“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” 1 John 3:17 (ESV)
In Acts, we see a church who literally shared ALL of their possessions. While this seems extreme to us, in our American culture, I believe it is one of the primary reasons we are not seeing revival today. We will not be judged one day by how many pretty things we have, but for how selflessly we chose to love. The world can see what we love most by how we take care of each other. What a testimony it would be to the lost world, if we as the Church, took care of each other selflessly!
The Call
I am sure we can find all kinds of excuses to keep living the way we are living, but that will not change the world. I believe if we want to be world-changers for Christ, then we must lay down our life for each other. Just saying kind words every Sunday will not cut it! We need to love deeper, and care more.
