The Greatest Oppurtunity :A message about love

If I could only ever preach one message, it would be on love, compassion—helping people. It means so much to me, and it’s also been the most life-changing to me personally.

Love has taught me who God is. In 1 John 4:7-8, the Bible says that the more we know how to love, the more we know about God. I think that’s a pretty sobering scripture. But I wonder how many people there are who sit in church week after week and say they know God but don’t really discipline themselves to walk in love.

I used to be one of those people. I knew a little about God, but knowing about Him and knowing Him are two totally different things.

When I spend time with God in the morning, after a little while, I get excited and start thinking about what I can do for somebody. I believe that’s what God does to us when we’re really fellowshipping with him. Don’t just go to Him to get what you want.

Love Is…
Love is God’s passion. It’s the thing he tells us is more important than anything (“one new commandment I give you…by this will all men know”). How’s the world going to know if we love each other? We have to show them!

Love is how we treat people. Love is compassion—a sacrifice to someone else, or meeting a need someone has. It’s to lift someone else up who’s in a low place, to help people who are hurting, giving an encouraging word or smile, sending out a missionary, feeding the poor.

Love is warfare. Satan is working hard to build a stronghold of cold love in the church with a phony hugs and empty words like “I love you with the love of the Lord.” But no one’s really there when it comes right down to it! It’s like we wear a “Do Not Disturb” sign on our lives. We’re too busy and we’re quick to give excuses why we can’t do this or that, why no one else is doing it, or why we don’t have the money to do it.

The Key to Being Happy
We can give excuses all day long. What it comes down to is what Jesus tells us in scripture: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said that this is (one of) the most important commandments. (See Matthew 22:37-39.)

Sadly, many people can’t love anyone else because they really don’t love themselves. If you don’t have a good relationship with yourself, then you’re not going to get along with anyone else.
So first you need to receive the love of God for yourself and let that love heal you. Then as you begin to have a whole and healthy relationship with yourself, that love will begin to flow out of you to others.

Being a Christian and loving Christ go together. If someone is unhappy, it’s because they’re selfish. It’s almost impossible to be unhappy when you get your mind off yourself. You’re not thinking about your own problem and you’re out doing something to help someone. Then God does something in you to make you happy.

Decide today to make helping people—on purpose—part of your everyday life, and watch how your own life will improve!