March 21, 2024 8:00 pm
What would cause someone to help a competitor? For a restaurant owner named Adolfo in Wisconsin, it was the opportunity to encourage other struggling local restaurant owners adapting to COVID regulations. Adolfo knew firsthand the challenges of operating a business during a pandemic. Encouraged by another local business’ generosity, Adolfo spent his own money to purchase more than $2,000 in gift cards to give away to his customers to use at other restaurants in his community. That’s an expression of love that’s not just words but action.
Building on the ultimate expression of love expressed by Jesus’ willingness to lay down his life for humanity (1 John 3:16), John encouraged his readers to also take the next step and put love into action. For John, to “lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (v. 16) meant demonstrating the same type of love exemplified by Jesus—and that would most often take the form of everyday, practical actions, such as sharing material possessions. It wasn’t enough to love with words; love required sincere, meaningful actions (v. 18).
Putting love into action can be hard because it often requires personal sacrifice or disadvantaging ourselves for another person. Enabled by God’s Spirit and remembering His lavish love for us, we can take the next step of love.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Our reading titled Next Step of Love was written by Lisa M. Samra. What would cause someone to help a competitor? For a restaurant owner named Adolfo in Wisconsin, it was the opportunity to encourage other struggling local restaurant owners adapting to COVID regulations. Adolfo knew firsthand the challenges of operating a business during a pandemic.
Encouraged by another local business's generosity, Adolfo spent his own money to purchase more than $2,000 in gift cards to give away to his customers to use at other restaurants in his community. That's an expression of love that's not just words, but action. Building on the ultimate expression of love demonstrated by Jesus' willingness to lay down his life for humanity, the Apostle John encouraged his readers to also take the next step and put love into action.
For John, to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters meant demonstrating the same type of love exemplified by Jesus, and that would most often take the form of everyday practical actions, such as sharing material possessions. It wasn't enough to love with words. Love required sincere, meaningful actions. Putting love into action can be hard because it often requires personal sacrifice or disadvantaging ourselves for another person. Enabled by God's Spirit and remembering his lavish love for us, we can take the next step of love.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 John chapter 3 verses 16 through 18. 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. Dear Jesus, we thank you for so selflessly laying down your life for us. Help us to follow your example and give of ourselves in service to others today. Let our words of love be matched by our actions. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening today. I was Shel Traub, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-03-21 20:46:50 / 2024-03-21 20:48:14 / 1
