Thursday, November 3, 2011

Missional Focus: {Day 28} Love

Being missional is living a life that involves intentionally serving others to win more to Christ through living out and sharing the Gospel.



16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  (1 John 3:16 - 23 NIV)

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV)

Loving others the way Jesus does, seeing people through His eyes, is something I have been praying for a lot recently. And I have to say that the days I do pray this, I am noticeably more patient with people, I get frustrated a lot less (and I am easily frustrated!) and I have a real, deep desire to give more of myself to others.

I know that I can't love people the way God calls me to love on my own. I can only love wholeheartedly, compassionately and without expecting anything in return if I have the Holy Spirit pouring into me first.



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