“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” ~St. Augustine of Hippo
It’s February again, and that means long stem roses, chocolates, jewelry and many expressions of love going out to those who are closest to us. This can be a difficult month for those who are single, widowed, or whose spouse may be less than romantic. So this month I wanted to take a look at Feb 14th from a different perspective.
First Corinthians 13 is the famous love chapter. You may recognize it “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, it is not boastful, is not conceited...Love NEVER ends” (emphasis mine). It is a reminder that true Love is not a feeling, but a verb, an action, a continuous way of being.
I am blessed to be able to travel and see many different churches in many different cities and states. What excites me the most is when we find a Body of Christ that understands that God’s Mission is all about Love. His redeeming Love is so intense, that despite our horrific sins, He gave Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ to die upon a cross so that reconciliation can be accomplished. His mission is about a Love that disciplines, heals, forgives, purifies, strengthens, teaches, reconciles, and restores. He is a God of pure Love, and that Love is played out in a beautiful tapestry that tells a story: my story, your story and our story and how God is continuously weaving Himself into that story. Unfortunately, many of our neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends, have never seen or understood this God of Love. They may have been hurt, jaded, or have never been told of the Savior who came to give us eternal life with Him. But it is our responsibility to “go and make disciples of all nations.” God uses us, as his Church, to be a representation of Jesus to others.
It is easy around the Christmas Season to look around, find needs and meet those needs. Whether at the local shelter, donating toys and clothing to families in need, or putting on Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts for those people who don’t have family, finances or a stable home with which to have a beautiful dinner. We can do most of these things as we are on autopilot through the season. But now it’s February, and we are back to our “regular routines” taking time to fill out Valentine’s Day cards for family and close friends, preparing for school parties, and finding that perfect gift for our own perfect someone. There are no longer Salvation Army bell-ringers in front of stores, Toys-for-Tots boxes in our work spaces, and for the most part our own giving has wound down as we are paying off our Christmas debt.
St. John in 1 John 3:16-18 says, “This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need- How can God’s love reside in him? Little Children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action!” Do you hear the pleading in John’s words? We cannot earn a spot before the King of the Universe, but because the King of the Universe loves us, that love should flow through us and into the lives of the people around us. Jesus established a counter-revolution, and we tend to forget how to truly fight in this spiritual battle that we face daily. I implore you this Valentine’s Day, and beyond, to look outside your regular sphere of influence and find some of the people around you who have very real needs, and with the power of the Holy Spirit for the Glory of God, please meet those people and meet their needs, and make disciples!
Jesus met needs and then made disciples. But some of us don’t know where to begin. If you would like to learn more about how to engage people around you and learn how to begin the discipleship process, join Justin Meier, Church Expansion Strategist for the Churches of God General Conference, in his 8-week series entitled “The Eight Week Disciple Making Challenge.” May you be a blessing to those around you during February and throughout the rest of the year. Can’t wait to see you at CGWM March Retreat!
First Corinthians 13 is the famous love chapter. You may recognize it “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, it is not boastful, is not conceited...Love NEVER ends” (emphasis mine). It is a reminder that true Love is not a feeling, but a verb, an action, a continuous way of being.
I am blessed to be able to travel and see many different churches in many different cities and states. What excites me the most is when we find a Body of Christ that understands that God’s Mission is all about Love. His redeeming Love is so intense, that despite our horrific sins, He gave Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ to die upon a cross so that reconciliation can be accomplished. His mission is about a Love that disciplines, heals, forgives, purifies, strengthens, teaches, reconciles, and restores. He is a God of pure Love, and that Love is played out in a beautiful tapestry that tells a story: my story, your story and our story and how God is continuously weaving Himself into that story. Unfortunately, many of our neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends, have never seen or understood this God of Love. They may have been hurt, jaded, or have never been told of the Savior who came to give us eternal life with Him. But it is our responsibility to “go and make disciples of all nations.” God uses us, as his Church, to be a representation of Jesus to others.
It is easy around the Christmas Season to look around, find needs and meet those needs. Whether at the local shelter, donating toys and clothing to families in need, or putting on Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts for those people who don’t have family, finances or a stable home with which to have a beautiful dinner. We can do most of these things as we are on autopilot through the season. But now it’s February, and we are back to our “regular routines” taking time to fill out Valentine’s Day cards for family and close friends, preparing for school parties, and finding that perfect gift for our own perfect someone. There are no longer Salvation Army bell-ringers in front of stores, Toys-for-Tots boxes in our work spaces, and for the most part our own giving has wound down as we are paying off our Christmas debt.
St. John in 1 John 3:16-18 says, “This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need- How can God’s love reside in him? Little Children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action!” Do you hear the pleading in John’s words? We cannot earn a spot before the King of the Universe, but because the King of the Universe loves us, that love should flow through us and into the lives of the people around us. Jesus established a counter-revolution, and we tend to forget how to truly fight in this spiritual battle that we face daily. I implore you this Valentine’s Day, and beyond, to look outside your regular sphere of influence and find some of the people around you who have very real needs, and with the power of the Holy Spirit for the Glory of God, please meet those people and meet their needs, and make disciples!
Jesus met needs and then made disciples. But some of us don’t know where to begin. If you would like to learn more about how to engage people around you and learn how to begin the discipleship process, join Justin Meier, Church Expansion Strategist for the Churches of God General Conference, in his 8-week series entitled “The Eight Week Disciple Making Challenge.” May you be a blessing to those around you during February and throughout the rest of the year. Can’t wait to see you at CGWM March Retreat!