"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth." (I John 3:18)
This is easier said than done. No, really, it is easier to say, "I love you" than it is to show it. Yet that is what we are called to do. We are called to bring Jesus to people by showing God's love.
So how do we do that? How do we bring Jesus to people by showing God's love?
First, what does it look like when we get it wrong, and second, what does it look like when we get it right? In addition, is there a situation coming up this week where we might have the opportunity to get it right?
For example, I have been guilty of getting it wrong lots of times, especially in my role as a pastor.
I used to think (and from time to time I slip back into it) that my job was to direct people's behavior.
I thought I was called to tell people what to do. Yet I have learned that when I do this (tell people what to do) I get loving wrong. Is it because in telling people what to do I am more concerned with what people might think of me as a pastor if I allow such behavior to continue than I am with the well-being of the other person? Probably. If that is so, then that is getting love wrong.
However, I have also found that I get love right when I become more concerned about the well-being of the other, than I concern myself with my own image as a pastor. I get love right when I seek more to understand than to be understood. I get love right when I humble myself and consider others better than myself. I get it right when I give people the benefit of the doubt and really seek to listen and to care about what is going in their lives at the moment. This is what it looks like for me when I get love right.
So how can I do that this week? I may not have the opportunity as a pastor, but I will have opportunities as a father and a husband. I will try to seek first to understand before seeking to be understood so that my family will know I really love them; not by what I say, but by what I do.
Lord, please help me to show your love this week. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I have to say that I really love this weeks. honestly that is something that hit me with my daughters in the past couple weeks. When they misbehave or have a wrong attitude. Its so easy to "hit them head on" or to enforce my authority over them as their dad. But I have started to make changes in that and am looking past the behavior - somewhat because its not excusable always - but more to what is going on inside to cause the misbehavior. I have found im getting better results from them with less stress and argument. When they know that I really love them and care for them then they are wanting to do things to please me and listening to directions from me is more acceptable to them. It takes time and im not perfect at it but its awesome the change I have seen in them when I do love them that way. thank bro I enjoy reading these posts
ReplyDeleteThanks autokamper. I am glad it has helped you. I think I am learning on this journey along the way that I am most helpful when I am most honest and transparent. I believe all of us struggle in this journey, and some even struggle in similar ways. So I will try to remember that my transparency and brokenness can be used by God to bring healing for others. Thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDelete