Day 17

Believers are God’s advertisement to a watching society as to how individuals could best live..
In fact, Christian love will always be the best defence of the truth that the church has..
How do we demonstrate the distinctiveness of Christian love? How can we practice the glorious virtue of love?..
– Love values the other person.
Let’s not confuse Christian love with its modern counterfeits – lust, sentimentality, and gratification. While love is a wonderful, warm feeling, it is not only a feeling. In fact, according to the Bible, love is primarily an active interest, an action, a decision to act in the well-being of another person. Love acts for the benefit of others.
– Love is vulnerable to the other.
In other words, love opens up its life to another person. It goes beyond sentimental feelings. It breaks down barriers. It exposes the heart.
– Love entails a cost.
It gets its hands dirty. It takes a chance. It takes a risk. Love makes a statement and leaves a legacy. It does the unexpected, surprising, and stirring. It performs acts that steal the heart and leaves an impression on the soul. Often these acts are never forgotten.
In the end, the goal of the Christian life is love. The measure of our maturity is our love for God and our love for others. If we fail in our love we have missed what it means to be a Christian..
But there is hope for the one who has failed in love..
“Can we do it?”, “Can we love others in this way?” The answer, I’m afraid, is “No.” We cannot love others like Christ – without Christ..
The Lord, who forgave even those who crucified Him, stands ready to forgive you of your lack of love. He wants to show His mercy towards you today, to cleanse your loveless heart and fill it with His loving Holy Spirit..
Receive His mercy. Place your trust in Christ and let Him teach you how to love as He has loved you..
“In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too……” (Philippians 2:3-4)