BH Bulletin - Monday 25 January 2021

Thought for the Day by Simon James-Morse ​(Minister of Goldstone Church)

​Inconvenient Love
11 For this is the message which you [believers] have heard from the beginning [of your relationship with Christ], that we should [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another;
16 By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.
1 John 3:11, 16 (AMP)
 
 
It is easy to say the words, “I love you.” But putting these words into action is much more difficult because it requires more of us. It means being inconvenienced for someone – even laying down our lives for one another. Hopefully, we won’t ever have to ‘take a bullet’ or jump in front of a speeding train for someone. However, we may be called to put our agenda to one side and place the interests and needs of others before our own. As Christians, we are called to show this love-in-action to our families and our communities.
 
This calling is costly. It requires that we forgive, speak the truth, carry each other’s burdens, pray for one another, and yes, even lay down our own self-interests. It means living out all those “one another” Bible passages. This is a great calling and one we cannot do on our own. We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to love others.
 
But when we love with more than just words, we are following Jesus’ example. To see the grandest gesture of love, look to the cross at Calvary. This is complete, pure and unconditional love in action. When we realise what Jesus did for us, we respond by loving Him – and loving others.
 
 
Dear Lord, the call to love others more than myself is a hard one. I confess that, deep down, I am selfish and prideful by nature. I need Your help to show true love to those You have placed in my life. Help me to love my family through my actions. Help me to love my friends through my tone of voice and attitude. Help me to love my co-workers by gladly doing things for them that seem hard or uninteresting. Thank You that through the power of the Holy Spirit I can be a light for You by the way I treat others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.