Five devotions to help you share God’s love for the poor

Links to all devotions in the series
1. Ownership
2. Power to help
3. Help for the poor
4. Love in action
5. Love’s reward 

Devotion 4: Love in action

Read

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.
1 John 3:16-18

Consider

We’ve all, at times, said we will do something, but have not carried through on our promise. It may have been because something hindered us, or that we never intended to carry through on our words. Maybe it was because of simple forgetfulness. Whatever the reason, our words and actions did not line up.

Jesus showed his love for us by the ultimate sacrificial action: dying for us on the cross. As his
followers, we must love people with not just words, but action. For what good is saying you love someone if you do not show it in action?

Love must be practical. It must consider the whole person and their context. It is driven by a real concern for the person in the need. And it will involve some level of sacrifice. It will cost us something, often our most precious resource – our time.

Question

1. What is our primary motivation for loving others? Is it yours?
2. There are many opportunities where we can love people in need with action, whether it’s someone in poverty overseas, someone needing help in our church, a family member or close friend, or simply someone we meet in the street. Why might we be reluctant to love people in practical ways?

Pray

Lord Jesus, you laid down your life for me. Grant me a greater understanding of your love for me, so that I can show greater love for my neighbour. Help me to love others with actions and in truth, considering their situation and needs. Not for me, but for the glory of Jesus throughout all the earth, I ask this.
Amen.