Love Well

James says that if we can LOVE our neighbor, we are doing WELL.  But, what does that look like?  It may not be what you think.  Who is our “neighbor”?   It may not be who you think.

During this pandemic, even though we are not able to gather together for worship at our churches, it doesn’t mean that we can’t still Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and body.  However, it may be more difficult to Love Others during this time of social distancing, wearing masks, and staying home more than we’d like to do.  Yet, this has been a time for people to discover creative ways to LOVE WELL with Drops of Grace: a plate of cookies, a note in the mail, a phone call, Facetime visits, checking in neighbors who are alone or vulnerable, picking up groceries for people, and the list goes on.  Some have actually shared that this has been a time to actually get to know their neighbors.

Drops of Grace are those things we do in order to show and share and reflect the love of Christ that will have ripple effects in a person’s life, their family, in a neighborhood, even a city and to the ends of the earth.  It may not seem as though you are doing much – you probably wish you could be doing more.  However, it’s the little things that count.  It’s the little things that can make a big difference.  It could be that the little things are exactly what this world needs.

The late Dallas Willard said:
“There is a lack of kindness, fairness, and compassion, all of which are more precious because they seem so rare.”
We are told in Micah 6.8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

In and of our own strength, we cannot LOVE WELL.  We have a long way to go in fully be transformed into followers of Christ who truly love others in the way that Christ loved us.  Fortunately, Scripture tells us that “we love because God first loved us”. (I John 4.19)  If you want to grow in how you love God and love others, begin by spending time allowing the Father to love you first – GOD IS LOVE – Oh, how He loves you.  Do you know that?  Do you believe that?  Only as you come to a greater understanding and acceptance of God’s love for you, will you then develop a greater love for God and Others.

God loves you so much, that over 2000 years ago He sent His Son to the world, and by His birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the ripples effects of God’s love are still reaching the shores of our lives and our world.