My Sunday Skl

THE WORD: 1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

As we continue in 1 John 3, verses 16-18, let’s be honest with ourselves – it’s tough to love others the way Jesus loves us. He laid down his life for us, and we’re called to do the same for our brothers and sisters. But are we willing to put our love into action, not just words? Are we willing to lay down our lives for those around us, just as Jesus did for us? It’s easy to sing and talk about laying our lives down for the Father’s sake, but are we willing to do the same for the brothers and sisters we see every day?

The truth is, there’s a receiving of God’s love, an understanding of His love towards us, that moves us to do the same for others. But are we showing that same love to others? Are we loving our neighbours as ourselves, just as Jesus commanded in Matthew 22:36-39? And let’s not forget what Jesus said in Luke 6:32-34 – ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.’ It’s not enough to just love those who love us back; we’re called to love even those who hate us, just as Jesus loved us while we were still sinners.

It’s not enough to just receive God’s love; we must love others freely, just as we’ve received it freely from God. So let’s pray for the grace and divine ability to love others as God loves us. Let’s ask God to help us lay down our lives for others, just as Jesus did for us. Let’s pray for the strength to love those who may not love us back, and to do good to those who may not do good to us.