Loving Like Jesus

Hello, my name is Xochitl Dixon. I share how two strangers demonstrated the power of kindness in today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread, Loving Like Jesus.

While waiting for a train at a station in Atlanta, Georgia, a young man wearing dress pants and a button-down shirt sat on a bench. As he struggled with his tie, an older woman encouraged her husband to help. When the elderly man hunched over and began teaching the young man how to knot the tie, a stranger took a photo of the trio. When this photo went viral online, many viewers left comments about the power of random acts of kindness. For believers in Jesus, kindness to others reflects the self-sacrificing care that He showed for people like us. It's an expression of God's love and what He desired His disciples to live out. We should love one another.

John equates hating a brother or sister to murder. Then he turns to Christ as an example of love in action. It doesn't have to be an extravagant display of sacrifice. Selfless love simply requires us to acknowledge the value of all God's image bearers by placing their needs above our own every day. Those seemingly ordinary moments when we care enough to notice the needs of others and do what we can to help are selfless when we're motivated by love. When we see beyond our personal space, step out of our comfort zones to serve others and give, especially when we don't have to give, we're loving like Jesus.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 John 3 verses 11 to 18. For this is the message you heard from the beginning. We should love one another. Do not be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him?

Because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer.

And you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need, but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. Let's pray. Loving Father, please help us see people with a heart ready to extend compassion and selfless love wherever you send us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.