Love in Action

“But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked.” (I John 2: 5-6)

There are many definitions of love. To a school of thought, LOVE is “knowing”; to another school of thought, LOVE is a “feeling”; and also to another school of thought, LOVE is “sacrificing” etc. Now John in his first epistle has a definition as well.  Love is “doing what Jesus did”!  He writes:  “…if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly in him; This is how we know we are in him; Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)

Witness the way Jesus loved – touching an unclean leper, talking to an outcast Samaritan woman, going to Matthew the tax collector’s party, praying for his disciples in the upper room (knowing full well they would soon forsake Him), taking up a heinous cross and dragging it through the streets of Golgotha, accepting freely the nails through His wrists, praying earnestly for His enemies as they gambled away his clothing… That is quite a model.  Do we possess the “Jesus style” of loving?

Love goes beyond mere words of mouth. John again warns us against this in his first epistle 3:8. Love is meant to be lived out; and in the exercise of love, two major things are involved – Giving and forgiving.  In the gospel according to John chapter 3:16 the Bible says “For God so loved the world that gave His only begotten Son…” God puts His love in action by way of giving Jesus Christ to the world to die for mankind. Mother Theresa had a unique phrase to describe this Christ-like love.  She once wrote:  “We must grow in love and to do this we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts – the way Jesus did”. Do ordinary things with extraordinary love: little things like caring for the sick and the homeless, the lonely and the unwanted, washing and caring for them. You must give what will cost you something…then your gift becomes a sacrifice, which will have value before God. Any sacrifice is useful if it is done out of love. This giving until it hurts – this sacrifice – is also what I call   love in action.

Apart from giving, forgiving is another aspect of love in action. Let us walk as Jesus walked, love the unlovable,  and forgive them unconditionally, sacrifice something of value, go all out and put your love into Action!

We have a unique opportunity today to demonstrate our love for God by giving generously to meet the needs of His church and His world.

Have a joyful celebration as you put your love for the Lord in action in appreciation of His love for you.

  Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon

 S.Igein Isemede