WEEK 9 — Love In Action (1 John 3)

“I know of nothing that speaks louder for Christ and Christianity than to see a man or woman giving up what they call their rights for others, and ‘in honor preferring one another.’” —D.L. Moody

Overview
Saying “I Love You” is easy. Living a life that displays love is a completely different challenge. As Christ’s followers, we cannot just tell those around us about the love of God, but we must BECOME the love of God in our world. No one is perfect, but all of us can demonstrate God’s love by the helping power of the Holy Ghost within us. When we make ourselves available and involve ourselves in the workings of God’s love with those around us…it is called ministry. Everyone has special gifts and abilities that God has blessed us with to be a blessing to others and show His love. Finding out what those gifts and abilities are is the first step, then putting them in action with love as the motivation is what follows. In doing these two simple steps, we will be more fulfilled in life, and we will impact the lives of the people that God places in our paths. If you ask me what a picture of a Christian should look like on an everyday basis, I would tell you it looks like “Love In Action”.

Memorize
1 John 3:18 (NIV) Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3 (NKJV)
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Confession
Lord, thank you for Your Spirit that lives inside me. Help me to lean in to the Holy Spirit’s guidance to put love into action everyday. Help me to discover the special gifts, talents and abilities that You have given me, and use them to show Your love to others around me. Forgive me if my life has been “all about me” so far, and help me to be more sensitive to what You desire to do through me. I am Yours completely, and with Your help, let me be a picture of love in action to a lost and hurting world.

THOUGHTS…INSIGHT…What is the Lord saying to me?

Project 52 Devotional (2021)
by Amazon.com Services LLC
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