By This We Know Love

1 John 3:16-18 “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Through Christ’s ministry and the sacrifice of His life, we know love. His life was spent ministering to the spiritually sick and the physically sick. He was feeding the spiritually hungry and feeding the thousands of physically hungry. He did not turn away from the poor, the unwell, or the rejected among society. Instead, He stretched out His hand to them.

Should we not follow His example? We hoard up treasures on earth, yet are unwilling to give to those in need. Our minds rationalize with us that people in need, begging for help, will either use what we give for bad or that they are responsible for getting themselves in this mess. Whereas we have worked hard and earned our place.

I cannot help but think that those rejected, ignored, and forgotten by society were made in the image of God. They reach out to us for help and we may have something to give. Why would we not try to give something whether it be our time, making a phone call for them to get help, food, or clothing, or shelter. If this person in need were Christ Himself, what would you give Him? Would you pass by and avoid eye contact? Or would you reach out your hand to help? Christ showed love to us first by reaching out to us to save us from our sins. So let us reach out to those in need and show the love of Christ to one another.