How We Know What Love Is

 

"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. 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?" (1 John 3:16-17)

Every Christian knows John 3:16 by heart but how many of us have 1 John 3:16 at heart? Agape love is self-sacrificing love and it's required of us as children of God. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. This is to be our standard and example of what love is. We are to love like Christ...to be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Agape love is the supernatural love that God puts in our heart through His indwelling Spirit. It's a fruit of the Spirit. It's dying to self and valuing others above self. 

Genuine love must be expressed in action. "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:15-17) Our faith and our words are worth nothing (meaningless) if we do nothing to help those in need. Agape love is shown in giving, helping, serving, forgiving, praying, protecting, listening, caring, bearing one another's burdens, sharing the gospel, etc. To lay down our lives for others (verse 16) and to share material possessions with those in need (verse 17) are examples of putting agape in action. We're blessed to be a blessing to others/to share with others (especially those in need), not to hoard for ourselves. 

Are we always willing to meet others' needs even when it costs us (time, money, energy, effort, inconvenience, etc.)? Don't just feel moved but then do nothing. "Sympathy is no substitute for action."(David Livingstone) "No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only had good intentions." (Margaret Thatcher) Faith without action is dead. Love without action is hypocrisy. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for showing me what agape love is! Thank You for dying on the cross on my behalf for my sins! Please empower me to love like You. Please open my eyes to see the needs around me and show me how to best meet those needs. Please guide me where and how I should use my resources that You've blessed me with for Your glory and Your kingdom. 

Review: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Product Details

Format: Jacketed Hardcover
Trim Size: 6.30 x 9.30 x 0.80
Page Count: 218
Retail Price: $24.99
ISBN: 9780849920691




My Thoughts and Review: Outlive Your Life is a wake-up call kind of book that invites readers to put compassion into action and to make an eternal impact that outlives their lives.  The world needs Christians to step up and be Christlike and act like the early Christians in Acts.  God used those ordinary people then to change the world and He still does now.  "You want to live in such a way that the world will be glad you did." (from page 4)    Mr. Lucado helps readers ponder the truth and examples found in the first 12 chapters of Acts.  Outlive Your Life reminds me of Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper, True Religion by Palmer Chinchen, and The Butterfly Effect & The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews.  They share the same theme:  We are created by God to make a difference in this world.  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) 

This book is easy to read.  I enjoy reading Max Lucado books.  I've always thought he's a gifted writer but now I also think he could have been a comedian if he wanted to :).  He is funny and yet insightful.  I chose to overlook the imaginative add-ons (to the Biblical account) which is his style.  I really like the questions for discussion and the ideas for action found in the back of the book.  I would recommend this book to others because the message is important and definitely needed in this me&mine culture.

How are you living the one and only unique life that God has given you?  You have a choice to live selfishly for yourself or to live for God and serve Him by serving and helping others, especially those in need.  You are given an opportunity to do something to change what is broken in this world.  What are you waiting for?  Love like Jesus does!!!

"Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." (~Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision)

Max Lucado has made it his goal to help World Vision find sponsors for 25,000 children to help commemorate his 25 years of inspirational writing.

You can sponsor a child and help reach this goal in the following ways:
1. Sponsor a Child at a participating bookstore.
2. Sponsor a Child at one of the shows for the Make a Difference Tour.
3. Sponsor a Child online here: http://www.maxlucado.com/worldvision/.

100% of the author royalties from the Outlive Your Life book will benefit children and families through World Vision and other ministries of faith-based compassion.

~I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Review: The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews, Illustrated by Philip Hurst

Product Details
Format: Jacketed Hardcover
Trim Size: 8.60 x 11 x 0.50
Page Count: 40
Retail Price: $16.99
ISBN: 9781400316052
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Author: Andy Andrews
Illustrator: Philip Hurst


My Thoughts and Review:The Boy Who Changed the World is a delightful children’s book that carries an important message every boy and girl should hear. The theme is “Everything you do matters.” The story begins with Norman Borlaug’s childhood and his accomplishment that helped save more than two billion people from starving. But was he really the boy who changed the world or was it Henry Wallace? Perhaps it was George Washington Carver or Moses Carver? Well, all of them had their parts in changing the world either directly or indirectly. This book shows children that God made each one of them special to make a difference in the world. Every decision we make...every action we take has far-reaching effects not only on us or people around us but also on others around the world. This book is based on the author’s book, The Butterfly Effect. The illustrations (water color paintings) are vibrantly beautiful. I wish the author or editor caught the mistake on the page showing George Washington Carver teaching Henry Wallace about plants. “On weekends, George would roam the fields and forests with the professor’s six-year-old son Henry, teaching the boy about plants and how many ways they could be to used help people.” The words “to” and “used” were transposed. I would recommend this wonderful book to every parent, teacher, child care, and library.

~I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through BookSneeze.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.