Love In Actions

Good Morning,

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

"Oh, I love you so very much."..."I've never loved as much as I love you."..."My love for you knows no bounds."

And on...and on...and on...and on.

I think that most of us, if not all of us, have these words...or words much like them...to someone in our lives. We've professed unending and unconditional love with the words we've used to that person in our life who we wanted to know our feelings. It's so very normal to say these kinds of words and to declare our love for another, special person.

Here's the rub, however. Do we, have we, will we actually live out this special love and not just be giving it, for lack of a better term, lip service?

John knew that, for many, the words of love toward others are often just that...words. Words that are not lived out "with actions and in truth," as John wrote. Yes, for the moment we say words of love we mean them...even from the bottom of our hearts and into our very beings. But, when it comes down to the "nitty gritty" of live; when things aren't exactly as we want them to be; when life happens and rubs us the wrong way...well then, those marvelous words aren't always there on our lips, are they? And that's how we are toward our spouse, or child, or brother, or sister, or even a parent. So, if we tend to be that way toward a true "loved one" then, how do we actually SHOW our love, live out our love, toward those people who are NOT special to us?

Here, I feel, is where "the rubber meets the road" so to speak. We know, and we've spoken of from time to time, that we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We know that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We know that we are supposed to love people in general. And, we even know that we are supposed to love our enemies! So, with this knowledge, we "profess" our love, as we are supposed to, even toward those who are "un lovely" in some way or other.

The problem here, of course, is that much too often that professed and declared love is not lived out and acted upon.

I ask us all this question, "How do we love with our actions and in the truth that we know we ought to have in our hearts?" Tough question, isn't it? I know that it is often difficult for me, and it's really difficult for me to admit it to others. You know, I want to be seen as that loving, caring, Christian man who truly does love as I'm supposed to...as I have read in my Bible...as Jesus has taught us all. But, well, I don't...always. I'm just as human as everyone else and have the same difficulty in this area as most people.

Now, I can't tell YOU how you should go about loving in actions and in truth in your life. I can't even suggest changes that YOU ought to make in loving as John tells us today. That is, of course, because I don't know for sure exactly how you are living your love for humanity at this time...really living it and not just using pretty words. I have a difficult enough time in answering this question in my own life, never mind telling other what they need to be doing.

We each should read these words from John today and then see how we measure up against what God is telling us in them. If we aren't terribly pleased with what we find, then we need to ask God to show us where we should be making some changes in the way we carry out His commands about love. Your changes won't be what mine are. And, neither will my changes be what are required of you. We all have to be honest with ourselves...and with God. Then, we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to help us in our endeavors to actually loving "with actions and in truth."

Easy? Nope! Possible? Sure. In our own strength? Probably not. But, let's remember what Jesus told us, "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" (Mat. 19:26)

Love, peace, and blessings,

David