Love One Another
Recently, I’ve been doing a personal Bible study in the Book of 1 John. This is a wonderful book of the Bible and I highly suggest that if you’re looking for a good read to check this book out. One of the themes from this book that really stood out to me was the encouragement of the believers to love one another.
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 brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brother’s, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay our lives down for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
(1 John 3:11-18)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
(1 John 4:7-8, 11-12)
As I read the first passage, I thought to myself, “I’m nothing like Cain. I’m full of love! This love thing…I’ve got it down!” Well, after a prayerfully thoughtful read of the 4th chapter of Genesis, I realized that I do have some things in common with Cain. When I see others succeed when I’m struggling…I’m quick to get angry and frustrated. Now, I don’t go as far as murdering anyone…But, I do find myself thinking awful things. I have come to the realization that my thoughts and actions are not always filled with love.
These passages call us to love. God loved us first…and as a result of his love for us, we should show our love for others. John challenges us to love, not with words, but with actions. If all we do is talk about how much we love our fellow humans, our talk will get worn out on those that need to experience love. There are so many people out there…so many souls that need to experience the love of God. They need to experience the love that God has given to us. They need to see the love of God’s people in action.
I want to challenge us to start putting our love into action (I’m included in this challenge). We need to come up with some practical ways to show our love for those in our church family and our whole community. What are some things that you can do on a daily basis to show your love, without using any words, to the people you interact with? These don’t have to be huge things…the small stuff really counts!!! Whatever we do, let’s do something to show our love!
Recently, I’ve been doing a personal Bible study in the Book of 1 John. This is a wonderful book of the Bible and I highly suggest that if you’re looking for a good read to check this book out. One of the themes from this book that really stood out to me was the encouragement of the believers to love one another.
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 brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brother’s, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay our lives down for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
(1 John 3:11-18)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
(1 John 4:7-8, 11-12)
As I read the first passage, I thought to myself, “I’m nothing like Cain. I’m full of love! This love thing…I’ve got it down!” Well, after a prayerfully thoughtful read of the 4th chapter of Genesis, I realized that I do have some things in common with Cain. When I see others succeed when I’m struggling…I’m quick to get angry and frustrated. Now, I don’t go as far as murdering anyone…But, I do find myself thinking awful things. I have come to the realization that my thoughts and actions are not always filled with love.
These passages call us to love. God loved us first…and as a result of his love for us, we should show our love for others. John challenges us to love, not with words, but with actions. If all we do is talk about how much we love our fellow humans, our talk will get worn out on those that need to experience love. There are so many people out there…so many souls that need to experience the love of God. They need to experience the love that God has given to us. They need to see the love of God’s people in action.
I want to challenge us to start putting our love into action (I’m included in this challenge). We need to come up with some practical ways to show our love for those in our church family and our whole community. What are some things that you can do on a daily basis to show your love, without using any words, to the people you interact with? These don’t have to be huge things…the small stuff really counts!!! Whatever we do, let’s do something to show our love!
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