MEDITATION:
Written by Mark D. Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker. This is an excerpt from his work “Yearning for Face Time.”
How, we might wonder, does God teach us to love? It’s important to remember that, in the Bible, love isn’t mainly a matter of emotions, though love can certainly have feelings attached to it…In Scripture, love is mainly a matter of action. It is actively doing what is best for others, often at a considerable cost to yourself. So, when we think of God helping us to grow in love, we should focus not so much on developing warm feelings for others as on choosing to act in a loving way toward them. God will help us to do this if we ask and if we respond to the guidance of the spirit. If you want to grow in love today, ask the Lord to show you whom to love and what to do. Then do it! Often, feelings of love follow from actions of love. Loving others can sometimes require costly and sacrificial action. We might think, for example, of Mother Teresa (now Saint Teresa of Calcutta) and her years of loving people who were dying of things like leprosy, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. But, for most of us, most of the time, love is expressed in relatively modest, small ways. For example, as I was working on this devotion, I asked the Lord how I might grow in love today. I had a strong impression that I needed to reach out to a friend who is going through a difficult time. It was too early in the day to call, so I sent him a quick “check-in” text. I’m pretty sure he’ll be glad to get the text, and I expect it will be a catalyst for further communication. This experience makes me wonder how my life would be different if each morning as part of my devotional routine I were to ask the Lord, “Whom should I love today? How should I do it?” In response to my wondering, I’m going to add that prayer to my daily practice. Down the road a piece I’ll let you know how it’s going. Perhaps you’d like to join me in this experiment.
PRAYER:
Written by Mark D. Roberts, the author of today’s meditation.
Gracious God, thank you for the reminder that love isn’t something static, something we achieve and move on. Rather, love is something in which we should be growing each day. Help me, Lord, to increase and abound in love. Guide me, by your Spirit, to know when, whom, and how to love. Bring to mind people I can love today and help me to act on your guidance. As I pray for myself, I also pray for my church. Help us, Lord, to grow in love for each other and our neighbors. Amen.
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