This Week’s Personal Action Step
Ask God to show you someone who you are to begin or deepen a relationship with, for the purpose of showing them who Christ is by your actions toward them.
This Week’s Group Action Step
Ask each other next week in your LifeGroups, ‘Who did God put on your heart to go love?’
This fits well with question two on the bookmark, “What is God asking me/you to do for Him and others? This a Empower and Engage question.
FEBRUARY 8 - THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT-Part Two
Matthew 22:37-40 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The second part of this commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. It is tied permanently to loving God. If you love God, you will love others. On the contrary, if you do not love others, it is proof that you really do not love God. Jesus says in John 8:14-15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Do you know your neighbor enough to love them? Those who live near you, work next to you, and those you see regularly in the daily rhythm of your life. Do you know these ‘neighbors’ and do you love them? If so, how? We must do this intentionally, on purpose. Loving our neighbors will not happen by accident.
God demonstrated His love toward us while we were still sinners. Do we demonstrate our love for others who may or may not follow Christ? A genuine concern for people, and praying for them is the start. If you don’t really have that, or haven’t taken the opportunity to begin loving your neighbor, ask Christ to help you see them as He sees them. Ask Him to change your heart so that you do want to love others as He does.
FEBRUARY 9 - IS LOVING OTHERS OBVIOUS?
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Everyone will know we follow Christ…that we are His disciples…by the way we love each other. It is sad to say that in some areas, people may not see us loving each other, but bickering over preferences or being argumentative.
Examine your own life. How do you love other followers that you are around? Could you love your neighbors in the same ways? Going back to yesterday’s devotional, how are you loving your neighbor? We say we love others, and our neighbors…but if someone were to ask you ‘how are you loving others’, what would you say? How would you answer that? Ask God and He will show you how to start.
We used this passage in the week on Embrace. The same questions apply here because Jesus uses the words ‘all people’ will know that you are my disciples. So, not just those in your church circles are watching. Let’s look at it again: Jesus goes so far as to say that the evidence of being His disciple is that you love one another. How much ‘evidence’ is there on you for someone to claim that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? Or are you exhibiting evidence of the opposite? Are you ‘more about you’ than you are about others? Do those you are around, your neighbors and co-workers or school friends, know you are His disciple, by the love you show one-another?
FEBRUARY 10 - DOES HOPE SHOW?
1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
The apostle Peter is moved by God to write about making a ‘defense’ and giving an account of hope’ which should be obvious in us as followers of Christ. The word ‘Defense’ is from the Greek word ‘apologia’ – apologetics – or our ability to explain what we believe and why. But it’s even better to explain ‘Who’ we believe in. Not just the facts, but the Person of Jesus Christ. Peter knew this well. When he and John were brought before the High Priest and the Council, Peter gave a defense for Who he believed in and ‘whose power’ healed the crippled man. Peter and John were then ‘threatened’ and ‘charged ‘not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.’
Paul was brought before King Agrippa, and Festus, the incoming Governor, to give a defense. Festus said was out of his mind. But King Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” The King was starting to realize hope was a Person. The person of Christ.
In both instances these disciples, Peter and Paul, explained Who they had hope in, and did so with gentleness and reverence. We never know when we will be called to give an account of our hope.
But this verse assumes you are close enough to others in your life for them to ‘see hope in you’…and that you are actually exhibiting hope. People notice when you have ‘no’ hope. People are watching your actions and attitudes. In tough times, we may sometimes find ourselves not showing much hope. It happens. If you find yourself with no hope, or your hope is waning, go to the One Who Is hope. We hope in Jesus, not our circumstances. He will be the One who sustains you, and causes you to have hope. He is the One who will help you exhibit hope in the way you live your life. It is not just a coincidence that the passage starts with, ‘but sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart.’ Growth (sanctification) in your heart for Christ is always the right place to start. As that happens, you are ready to defend ‘why’ you are hopeful in Him.
FEBRUARY 11 - “GO” WITH INTENTION OF LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT CONNECTED
Luke 14:21-23 “Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”
When Jesus was telling this parable, He was trying to show the Pharisees that those who are welcomed are many. That He wants his banquet full. The original invitees found excuses to avoid attending the banquet. So will some of those who we invite into our lives, into our groups, and into our corporate worship times. However, if we think about focusing on making friends out there, if we love our neighbor, as we looked at earlier this week, we will have friends who we can bring with us. Jesus spent a lot of time loving people on the outskirts and befriending them. They knew He genuinely cared. They followed Him because of that. Are you asking God to show you the people in your path you can love, care for, and then share Who loves you and them?
If we live with intention, looking for those who we can love, God will show us who they are. Then we love them as we are obedient to our Lord.
FEBRUARY 12 - WE WELCOME STRANGERS IN
Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Jesus explains here that when we care for those who are in need or are having a bad day, we are caring for Him. For He loves them too. When we invite those we don’t know, strangers, to come be with us, we are inviting Him. We don’t just invite them to church. We don’t just invite them to our LifeGroups. We invite them into our lives. We show them the love of Christ first, so they know we are genuine. As they see our love for them and for others, they will feel more and more welcome with you, and us all.
We never know exactly what someone may be going through. But, if we are open to whoever God puts in our paths, He will make sure we are ready to genuinely engage them in whatever way necessary to show His love to them.