Love God and People

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 ESV)

Love for one another is the mark of a Christian but what does that love really look like? Well we read here that Paul, Silas and Timothy related their care and love for those in Thessalonica as if they were their children and they cared for them as a mother does her children. Now this is a great example if you were a child whose mom was a loving and caring person. Sadly to say that is not always the case and many children throughout history have grown up not being able to understand that because they never knew the love of a mother. Yet I love the way the Bible always address those issues that might come up.

Paul goes on to explain that they desire to see them grow closer to God and as a body of believers that while they were with them they gave of themselves not just sharing the gospel with them but also whatever else they might have need of, not out of empathy or trickery but out of love for them.

You know today in our churches we often are very busy doing all sorts of things we have clubs and organizations we have small groups and Sunday school classes all of these are designed with the idea that we will come together as a group to learn more about Jesus and grow to be more like Him but to be honest don’t know that it is working all that well. Too many of those in charge of these classes and social gatherings are lacking one thing and that is a desire to reach the lost and dying world.

We come together in a particular place at a particular time and often we are afraid to try something different. We can come up with all sorts of excuses why we can’t do something but the real underlying issue we lack a love for those who do not yet know Jesus and in some cases we lack a love for those who do. We would almost rather be hermits living a life worshiping Jesus and God without dealing with all the other people and stuff that comes with the life of a Christian.

I want to challenge you to step outside of yourself today loving others is a scare thing it requires us to put the needs of others before our own. It can and does cost you in the beginning and yet the rewards are unbelievable. You see Jesus actually gave us the best example of what love really looks like; when He accepted the responsibility for my sin on that cross 2000 years ago. Not that I was deserving of any of it but out of the love He had for God and the love He had for us He suffered and died so that you and I could be forgiven.

Today in the world people are suffering and dying for the testimony of Jesus; they do not do it because of money, fame or fortune; they don’t do it for the recognition, they are doing it because they love God and they love people. How about you?

Have a truly blessed day as you walk in the light of God's word. —Rev Brian Mathis