Putting Real Love Into Action

Here's devotional numero uno from what I wrote for PLIA...

Stop right there.

Before you read any further in this devotional, I want each of you to individually read the entire book of 1 John. It’s not that long—we read far more than this in a night for our classes. I just read it in less than 10 minutes. Please? J

Okay, welcome back. Powerful stuff, huh? Can I suggest that you read that same book every night of this break? Just watch the Holy Spirit reveal different insights to you each time. God’s Word is an endless treasure that never runs out, and I’m convinced that if you dig into His Word with the right attitude, you will never get bored. Consider that a challenge. J Okay cool. Moving on then…

So I hope you gathered that the theme of 1 John is love. Real love. The love that you can see and touch—not just hear. The love that is of the Father—not of man.  John talks about man’s “love” earlier in the book in 2:15-16. The New Living Translation says:

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

This is pretty essential information if you plan on putting any love into action during this break. Do you know what kind of love you have in you? Are you absolutely certain that you’re going to be putting the Father’s love into action? Of course, none of us would say that we intend to put worldly “love”/lust into action, but we also all know that “actions speak louder than words.”

So think about what your actions “say” about you. How do you treat others? What kind of people are you in relationships with? What does what you invest your time and money in say about your character and lifestyle? Do you crave physical pleasure more than the deeper pleasure that comes from resting in God? Do you find yourself boasting in what you’ve achieved or the cool stuff you own more than boasting in what God’s grace has done in your life? 

Seriously, think about those questions. Don’t just quickly read over these.

I realize these are intense questions, but I want you to really think about this because this is pretty crucial. You have an amazing opportunity to put the Father’s love into action with people who need to feel it.  I don’t want you to throw away this opportunity by showing people a worldly love instead. If we call ourselves Christians, people are expecting to find Christ. We can’t let them down. And John himself is pretty unapologetic in his book for those who don’t show love. Is he talking about you?

Maybe after answering those questions, you’re feeling inadequate to put God’s love into action. Relying on your own strength, you are inadequate. You can’t truly love others without total 100% reliance on the work of the Holy Spirit. We are fallen human beings who need God’s grace. His grace isn’t just a one-time gift that gives us salvation from sins. It’s a continuous stream of mercy that gives us the ability to do anything and everything that pleases Him. God’s grace through the Holy Spirit is what enables us to put the Father’s love into action. The sooner we discover that, the better. J

Prayer:
Abba Father, we are amazed by Your unfailing love for us. We mess up so many times, and yet You are so faithful. We deserve absolutely nothing from You, but You desire to give us grace upon grace from Your abundance. Thank You for Your forgiveness when we forget about Your grace, when we try to live our lives on our own strength, when we turn to the world for our attempts at satisfaction. Continue to sanctify us and teach us that You are all that we need. Thank You for this opportunity to put Your love into action. Thank You for this opportunity to connect with people within this group and others that we will meet along the way. Thank You for giving us a break from school to revive ourselves. Thank You for being with us no matter where we go. Please bless this trip and may Your name be glorified through it all. Please help us to realize more and more what it means to completely surrender ourselves to the work of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your discipline and for training us to be Your disciples. Help us to follow the perfect example of Jesus’ sacrificial love every moment of our days. Teach us that dying to ourselves is the one way to true joy and satisfaction. You are our portion, Jesus. We love You—help us love You more. Amen

Discussion:

1. How can we be sure that we have the Father’s love in us? (Hint: 1 John has lots to say about this J)

2. Is it actually wrong to love worldly things a little bit as long as we love God more? Doesn’t God want us to be happy or is this simply following the “Gospel of Prosperity”?

3. Is there anything worldly that you feel convicted that you love too much? Spring break would be the perfect time to turn away from this and start fresh when you get back to school. Think about it! J

4. What are some concrete ways that you can put the Father’s love into action tomorrow? What are some concrete ways that you can put the Father’s love into action after PLIA?