The Blessings of Others in Our Lives
Never underestimate the power of friendship. Friendships give us comfort. They strengthen, nourish, and encourage us. They take the grind out of life.
Jesus told His disciples to love one another “as I have loved you” (John 13:34). That wouldn’t be so hard if the love Jesus displayed was primarily the write-a-cheque or call-once-a-month kind of love. But Jesus set the bar immeasurably high. Jesus’ kind of love touched the skin of a leper and washed the feet of a soon-to-be betrayer. He didn’t mind interruption by another’s demands, even those of a person all others disdained. Jesus had the uncanny ability to look straight into a person’s soul to see the deepest need there.
Is that an impossible example to follow? You bet it is! That’s why God sent the Holy Spirit to live inside us and empower us with His supernatural love. Only when “plugged in” to that power will His followers stand out in their treatment of others and of one another. Then people will take notice and say, “My, how they love one another!” Let these resources set you on the path of loving with the Saviour’s love.
Never underestimate the power of friendship. Friendships give us comfort. They strengthen, nourish, and encourage us. They take the grind out of life.
The words, “I love you” make an incredible impact, especially when they’re authentic. There’s nothing shallow about authentic love. Real love has staying power. It always opts for working through. It’s resilient.
Jesus confronted the very thing I’m most afraid of: being rejected for being your authentic self. In the face of unbelief, Jesus stood firm. He was confident in His person and certain of what was true.
The popular notion of God, as if He were a benign, aging grandfather, sitting passively in heaven—affable, lenient, permissive, and devoid of any real displeasure over sin because He loves us—cheapens God's love. It doesn't uphold the value of His love. In truth, looking into God's heart to discover His love is to discover His other attributes as well.
Love. This simple, four-letter verb forms our ministry impulse. Chuck urges all ministers to return to the basics that they might abide and walk with a sincere love for others.
We may take God as He really is or reject Him on the same basis, but the one opinion not open to us is to create Him as we’d like Him to be. He is and has always been the God of love and justice in both the Old and New Testaments.
In the words of Ephesians 4:32, be kind. My sister Luci paraphrases this verse, “Just be nice."
Doing acts of kindness feels great as well as it makes the world or another person’s day a bit better. So I wonder why being kind isn’t second nature to me.
Christ died for us to give us eternal life. How can we not show grace and compassion to others knowing this? Compassion is a direct result of accepting Christ into our hearts.
Scripture reveals many facets of God’s character. We could spend eternity reflecting on His holiness, His justice, or His power. But Chuck Swindoll reflects on a more intimate aspect of God’s nature…His love.