A Verb part 2
Faith without works is dead, right? Because what you do flows from what you believe. Love as an idea doesn't really help anybody, but when the Word (which is Jesus, which is love) is made flesh... that's when it becomes charity--love in action. And that's what love truly is: The act of laying your life down for your friends. Giving everything you have and everything you are without trying to get anything. Love is never about getting. Because love IS giving. Look at John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God loved... so He gave. And look at Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus proved His love for us by giving His life for us, and giving His life to us. Love is giving. Giving is an action. Love is a verb; an action word. Yesterday we talked a little bit about how you can't just say, "God bless," to someone who is hungry and expect it to mean anything. You need to see a need... and meet it. And I always try to temper this by saying you SHOULD give everything you have and everything you are... but don't try to give what you don't have. Don't over-extend yourself. "And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise" (Luke 3:10-11). If you have two coats... give one away. Live out of your abundance. Don't freeze to death. Its one thing to lay down your life... its another thing to kill yourself. And, as always, my bottom line (or top line, as Logan says, because the important stuff goes on top line) is... once you give something everything you've got it's either enough, or it isn't. And either way you've done what you can do. So when we're talking about doing... just do what you can do. Stay in your lane, if I can say it that way. Walk according to your calling. Don't try to be someone you're not. Don't try to do something you can't do. Sometimes you do more harm by trying too hard. Sometimes you hurt your hand by hanging on instead of just letting go. Let go and let God. Right? Love FLOWS from your innermost being when you fill yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. When you let God love you. And, again, not in just some abstract idea of "love." But actual rubber meets the road "no other explanation for how this could have happened but love" love. Agape love. Sacrificial love. "Why'd you do that?" Because it was in my heart to do it. And I think this is powerful: I think the kindest people in the world are people that have been through some of the worst stuff. Because they know what its like to not have it. So they find it very important to give it. Because they don't want people to have to go through what they've been through. So don't let a lack of charity in your life make you bitter. Know and believe the love of God and let what's inside come out! Walk by faith. Live by faith. Faith in God. Faith in love. Love never fails. So if we act in love WE can never fail. That's how we experience the gift of eternal life that we've been given: By loving each other with the love that we are loved with!