Love in Actions
16This 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. 17If 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? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
Bee's Thoughts:
The word "love"brings a nice feeling but very often people have the wrong understanding of the meaning of love. In v16, we see that to love is to be willing to lay down one's life for the one we claim to love. Jesus is our model on love... loving with actions. When we can truly love, God promise to give us what we ask (v22), for we will ask for things that show our love for another and not for our selfish gain.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me the meaning of love again. If I love someone, I should do things that will edify the person and not for my own gratification. I ask for Your strength to practise love and not just give empty words.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
It is easy to get discouraged and stopping altogether in asking God for something when our prayers always left unanswered. We become unsure and skeptical of God’s promises that we shall receive whatever we ask for in prayer (Matthew 7:7, Matthew 21:22, John 9:31; 15:7).
We first need to ask our selves: Are we asking in line with God’s will for us? Are we truly seeking His will or our own selfish desire? Or are we persistently praying for “poisonous snakes” instead of bread and fish? When we learn to know God better as a loving Father through a right relationship with Him and obeying His commands, we will know and be able to ask for what is good for us. And when we do, God WILL grant our requests (often unexpectedly)!
Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to ask for what is good for me, seeking Your will instead of mine. Lord, I pray that You will continue to supply me with more patience, wisdom, trust, love, and understanding in You and Your plan for me. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
