Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
(1 John 4:12 (NIV))
How do you treat people?
Let's zoom in a little on that and focus on how you treat other believers?
Is there a difference between how you treat people versus how you treat someone once you find out that that profess a faith in Jesus?
Should there be a difference?
Let's take a look at this question with a very well known passage as the starting point.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16 (NIV))
How many people in the entire world professed a faith in Jesus when these words were written?
The numbers were extremely small.
How many people did God love when He sent Jesus into the world?
The numbers were and are all inclusive.
I have heard some people profess that we are to only love other believers, but how do we show the love of Jesus and share the Gospel if we only love other believers? Personally, I have always strived to treat everyone with respect regardless of how they might treat me. I have often found that those who are less than loving are the ones who need to be shown love the most. We must be careful to not fall into the world's view of love. That view says that we accept everything someone does because we love them. On the contrary, we are to lovingly show them the consequences of their sin. We are to show them that there is a way to escape those consequences. We cannot accomplish any of this if we are yelling and fighting with them. We cannot accomplish any of this if we are coddling them and encouraging their sin.
What is your definition of love?
How do you love?
Who do you love?
Copyright 1998 - 2024 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment