LOVE IN ACTION

Rom. 12:13 When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.  NLT

      Jesus said to love your neighbor as you love yourself. When you are in need, you will do all you can to meet your need. If you can't satisfy your need, you will seek help from others for your need. It is a natural instinct to have our needs met.

     Today's verse instructs us to treat others the way we want to be treated. If someone in the household of faith has a need, we are the ones who need to respond to their need. We should not pretend that the need doesn't exist. If it is within our ability to do so, we need to reach out and minister to the brother or sister in need. We can't help everyone, but we can help someone. It is not okay with the Lord for us to do nothing.

      Why? Because actions speak louder than words. God's love is an active love. It is a giving and not a hoarding love. God's love motivates us to reach out to others, to be hospitable when we can, even to the point of inviting guests to spend the night if the need arises.

      The true measure of God's love in us is determined by how we relate to others in need.  We live in a very self-driven world.  The world is getting smaller and smaller to us as we isolate ourselves from it.  We become engrossed in our own little sphere of life and so often fail to recognize, let alone respond to, those in need around us.  Blessed are those who show their love for God by reaching out to those in need and do what they can to help them.