Love Like Jesus
Dear Friend,
The other day one of my children came home and says,”Mom I NEED a gift for a friend at school!!! Their birthday is coming up and THEY SAID I’ve gotta bring it within two days!” I paused and let the words that were spoken soak in for a moment...(In my head I thought) This can’t be right?!?! What kind of person would demand and command that a gift be given??? If I demanded a gift from someone and actually received it, then technically it’s no longer a gift at all! But rather a forced moment that was motivated by selfishness and lack of compassion. After the initial shock, my child and I discussed that anytime we give, we should give out of Love! It doesn’t matter if it kind words, a helping hand, money, support, or whatever...let love be the driving force.
And we should give and love the way our Father does! So in the event that we give because we are afraid and paralyzed by worry that they’ll reject us, or abuse and misuse us, in this case lose a friend...then we have it all wrong!
Let us truly walk in love! The love according to the Word of God!
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
John 3:16
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Luke 6:38
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Mark 12:31
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
How much we love will be seen in true motive and heart behind how and why we give! Doing anything without love leads to the bitter fruit of destruction.
Today let us ask Him to help us! Help us to be motivated by the greater who dwells within us and not our flesh. Let us be motivated by the Spirit of God and not our flesh! Let us not sow anything that we aren’t willing to reap. And in our weakness, may the Lord Almighty be our strength! In Jesus name, Amen!
Love like Christ,
Jess
