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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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1 John 4:18-21
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Honesty check-up time.
This isn’t just for the Christmas season; this is for during the hard times too. Yes, we get sentimental at this time of the year and try and bury the hatchet – and so we should - because we are celebrating the arrival of the Prince of Peace.
But this verse goes deeper – all year round. It is, if you like, the Christian litmus test. The level at which I love the Family of God, those at Church, my spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ is the level at which I really love God.
But this is not a passive thing. We can all glibly say, “Oh, I love them all. I do, I really do.” But how do we show it?
Do we spend time getting to know them in a Small/Cell Group?
Do we help when there are practical needs to be met?
Do we offer hospitality on a frequent basis?
Have you ever invited them into your home?
Have you ever made a meal for when a husband or wife has been ill?
Has anyone ever convalesced in your home?
Have you ever sent a card of thanks to someone who has helped you?
Have you ever said “Thank you” to your Cell Group Leaders who are there for you 52 weeks of the year?
Are you actively helping out in the Church?
Usually it’s the same people offering to do all the work and most of them could do with a break – could you do something to help and show your love?
What about helping a young wife with ironing, cleaning or making a meal so she can spend more time with her husband (or baby-sit the children for free)?
What about visiting that older person who finds it difficult to get to Church these days? Or that sick person with no family?
You see, there are so many ways we can show our love – even if it’s only a lift to church once a week.
Jesus says it is not an option. God loves us totally, unconditionally. It is with that same love we must love others. Guess what? – It includes our natural families, too. Often it is easier to love others, isn’t it?
“There is no fear in love.” I had a boss once who said that as ‘the boss’ ‘you’ have to be the most hated person in the office. He succeeded. Everyone feared him. But nobody respected him. No one loved him.
“God is love” (1 John 4:16). His “love drives out fear” and so we love Him back and respect Him to the highest degree. As we saw yesterday – it comes through knowing God, not just as God but also as Father. We can only do that through the Son, Jesus, who came as a tiny Baby to this earth to reveal the heart of Father and to pay the price of our punishment and to “drive out [all] fear” from us.
If you know that love, why not thank Him again today? If you don’t, cry out to Him to reveal it to you, right now. He can and He will. I promise.
And keep working on how you can show your love for others more.
(How are you going to show that kind of love to someone this Christmas?)
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