Monday Motivation #26 Love One Another As…
This is the week of Valentine’s Day and we’ll be thinking of those we love and who love us. We might give a gift of a card or candy or we may simply say “I love you”! But how should we really show love to someone else?
In John 15:12, Jesus taught his disciples how to love. He said to “love one another as I have loved you.” In fact, he didn’t just tell them to love as he loved, he commanded them to. How did Jesus love? He loved sacrificially. He sacrificed or gave up, his life for us. Because of our sin, we were destined to death and separation from God. But Jesus, who came to seek and to save the lost, gave his life on the cross as a substitute for our sins. It was the most awesome demonstration of sacrificial love.
Sacrificial love isn’t just words. It’s action. We can demonstrate sacrificial love by the giving of ourselves to others. We can love others sacrificially by helping, encouraging, listening, and spending time with them. We may sacrifice our own needs and desires for theirs.
This week, think of some ways you can give of yourself to others. As imperfect as we are, we can look to the perfect example of Christ. And as we sacrificially love others, we demonstrate our love for Him and gratitude for what He did for us.
© 2019 Robin R King
John 15:12 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.”
1 John 3:16 New International Version (NIV)
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.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version (NIV)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
