A small act of love

When I became a Christian, the first change I noticed in myself was a different attitude toward people, particularly other Christians. I felt drawn to them and cared about them. From that time on, even when we don’t see eye to eye on things, I still feel the same way. This is unlike what I was like before I knew Christ.

Since those early days I’ve realized that this is the mark of being a Christian. The Bible says if I claim to believe in Jesus but do not love others who make the same claim, then I would be mistaken about my so-called faith. This is because new life in Christ brings with it that same love Christ has for His people. No love = no Christ = no faith.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:12-16)

I’ve often thought of myself as a fighter, not a lover. That is why love amazes me and I know it is a remarkable gift from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He gives it in large doses for great needs, but often He helps me love others in smaller yet important events. This morning the phone rang before I had breakfast or was dressed. In my mind it had to be a salesman, but it was my brother. He inherited our dad’s sometimes annoying habit of calling early, when most people are just getting up.

However, I’ve been praying for some good Christian conversation. At the same time, I’ve been thinking how loving others can mean personal sacrifice. Before the call came, I had plans, but as soon as I heard his voice, I made the choice to give up my plans and talk as long as he wanted to talk. That could be risky, but for an hour, we talked mostly about what God is doing and what we are trusting Him to do. It was a great conversation.

Christian love is sometimes that easy. On other occasions it is more difficult, but as the above verses say, this love is available to us because we are trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. He gives it to us because He has given us the Holy Spirit who produces that love in us, a love that self-sacrificing and so important. It binds Christians together, even when we don’t agree. It creates bonds stronger than kinship and more vital than personal plans.

Love is the most important thing. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

My to-do list is now feeling the pinch, but my heart is blessed because God tested my ability to love (albeit a small test) and answered my prayer for fellowship at the same time.