“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34,35)
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Mark 12:31)
Jesus said that if we truly are His disciples our lives will be so marked by our love for others that people will notice and attribute it to following Jesus. He didn’t let us off the hook with just loving other Christians, which might or might not be easier. He said we need to love our neighbors. He also has a radical idea of who our neighbors are, but let’s just focus on the neighbors around us.
We can really thank the people we encounter doing thankless jobs: the waitress covering ours and too many other tables, the cashier dealing with a big line of customers, the person who cleans the restroom. You have to keep your eyes open to see them. We can visit the people who rarely get visits: people in a nursing home, elderly living alone, prisoners. Those you may have to look for. We can guide people new to the area: tell people who just moved to the area fun things to do and see, and help international students navigate their lives here.
A thought: If I were arrested for being a Christian, could they find enough evidence to convict me?
Prayer Prompt: Guide me to people who need something that I can provide and help me to respond to that need.
Song of the Day: Love God, Love People - Danny Gokey
