Most Loving Lord, You have told me that others will know of Your love by what they see manifested in my life. Your love is unconditional which means it’s unrestrained and unlimited, free to all and can be counted on to get through whatever is being experienced. In the same way that You showed me Your love by Your suffering and death, You are calling me to love others with the same commitment. That is why Your love compels me to become …
* Selfless and motivated to serve. I must go beyond myself and start working with others on helping them meet their needs. The easiest way to get beyond myself is to serve others. Doing so takes the focus off of me and puts my attention and energy on others wants and needs.
* Faithful and committed to others. My love cannot be here today and gone tomorrow. If I intend to love the way You do, then my love must be constant and steadfast. There is no “fading into the sunset” where Your kind of love is concerned. Sticking like glue is more like it.
* Filled with respect for others. Loving others should not be based on status or position in society … instead, the fact that they are Your creation. Everything You make is good. I must see others as good and worthy of my time and effort to share with them the things that will lead them to You.
* Wrapped in kinship and devotion. In Your own words, the command that comes after the one to love You is the command to love my neighbor. You state many times that believers should love one another. In the early church, believers gathered to share an “agape” meal and worship together. I should be willing to love Your family and expand its bounds to those who are outside and in the dark.
* Filled with loving concern and a willingness to share. Becoming tenderhearted allows me to apply the balm of love to the hurts of others. It causes me to have empathy with what others are going through. To lead others to the freedom of Your forgiveness is a wonderful way for them to experience Your love.
* A good listener … ready to spread good cheer. Just allowing others to get things off their chest is a very liberating experience. It gives me the insights I need to work with the Holy Spirit to minister to a person’s needs. Any words that I share with others should offer hope, comfort and the assurance of Your standing by them in whatever they face.
You have called me to be like … or appear … to be like You. I know that as I strive to put You first in my life I will begin to form a pattern of living that emulates Yours. As I become more obedient to You I will enable You to guide me into loving unconditionally the way You do. It is my love for You that compels me to action on Your behalf. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I John 4:11-12 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we 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.