Love Like Jesus

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

– 1 John 3:16

God is love.

We find this remarkable, three-word declaration in the New Testament book of 1 John. And it’s the good news that the world needs. But a quick check of the headlines reveals that society is looking for love in all the wrong places. Rather than embracing their Creator for wisdom and security, most people choose to follow the false gods of money, entertainment, materialism, and pleasure — to name just a few.

Is it any wonder that God’s response is to use Christ-followers as his hands and feet on earth? Jesus calls us the light of the world. And that means we’re to illuminate faith, hope, and action so that people see our good works and glorify God. The implications for Believers are great because we’re called to be beacons of truth amidst the bleakness of the mundane. And to succeed in this mission, we must understand and convey God’s wonderful plan for his creation. However, the world doesn’t particularly care about how much we know. It just wants to see how much we care. 

Simply put, it means we must love like Jesus. But where do we begin?

We can start by sharing God’s love through character, which means bringing hope to every interaction. Through community, we can bring unity to every relationship. And with communication (listening and speaking), we can show that we care enough to engage people where they are — and all while sharing the Good News of Christ in both word and deed.

“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech,” the apostle John explains,
“but in truth and action.”

Sunshine On the Horizon

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

It’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus’ first disciples heard these encouraging words of truth and wisdom. And aren’t they just as reassuring to his modern-day followers like you and me? Surf the web, turn on the TV, or pick up an old-school newspaper, and just try to avoid the unsettling headlines about politics, inflation, and war. There's also no shortage of news stories about natural disasters involving tornadoes, floods, blizzards, and earthquakes.

The point is that whether they’re natural or manmade, storms are all around us. And there’s no escape — even after we’ve logged off the computer, put away the smartphone, or clicked the TV remote button. For some people, their storm might be a job loss or bankruptcy. For others, it’s a chronic illness or the prospect of major surgery. Maybe your tempest involves family or relationship issues like a divorce or the loss of a loved one. It’s enough to make us wonder if God really cares if we’ll make it through life’s choppy waters.

Under such gloomy circumstances, it’s worth reminding ourselves that we worship a Creator who’s much greater than any natural disaster, economic difficulty, or personal dispute. Ours is a God who spoke the universe into creation, formed great mountain ranges with his hands, and parted the seas with a breath.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” asks the writer of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Let’s take God at his word that it’s through life’s turmoil that he works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose. And let’s also remember that we’re not exempt from challenges and tragedies just because we put our faith in Jesus. However, once we've taken that eternity-changing step, we gain access to a Power who helps us endure any difficulty — great or small. What’s more, we become beneficiaries of an eternal inheritance that will make our current troubles fade into oblivion.

The storms of life that seem so great today will become laughably insignificant tomorrow. And we can rest assured that even amidst the darkness, blue skies and sunshine are on the horizon.

Phoning It In

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

— Philippians 4:6

Christ-followers enjoy a very special privilege: the ability to speak with God through prayer about their blessings, troubles, concerns … and everything else that’s going on in their lives. And it’s all possible through their faith in his Son, Jesus.

But there are times when even the most-seasoned Believer feels like their prayers go no higher than the bedroom ceiling. Instead of praying continually to their Creator with gratitude, they fall into a spiritual rut and simply phone it in. Indeed, prayer is a bit like a phone call. Sometimes the signal comes in loud and clear. But other times there’s just static … or the call doesn’t go through at all.

What’s the cause of these so-called dropped calls to God? 

First, we must ensure that the line is clear by dealing with any unconfessed sin in our lives. Likewise, if we’re carrying a grudge against someone, like a spouse or co-worker, it must be ironed out before we can expect God to listen to us. And our faith also plays a large role. If we pray but don’t think God has the power or desire to deal with our problems, why even ask in the first place?

But what happens when we pray sincerely and with good intentions, but our prayers still go unanswered? 

The fact is that God answers every prayer. It’s just that sometimes the answer is “no” or “not now.” As the Creator of all things past, present, and future, He knows the big picture — the perspective on the people, places, and circumstances that make all the difference to our situation. God also has a much better plan for us. And while it might not be what we think we want, it’s guaranteed to be what we need … and it’s always what we should be grateful for. As the apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:16:

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

The Elephant in the Room

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

– Isaiah 12:3

There's a famous story about three blindfolded men who were asked to touch and identify an undisclosed object. And that object happened to be a live African elephant ... but no one told them!

The first man touched the elephant's muscular trunk. The second man grasped the pachyderm's boney tale. And the third man — moving his hands across the beast's rugged hide — marveled at its rough exterior. Needless to say, their perspectives were way off the mark. A 10,000-pound elephant was right in front of them, and they failed to see the big picture.

Many people also miss the big picture when it comes to gratitude. As Christ-followers, we can be grateful that our relationship with Jesus grants us access to our Creator — a loving Father who hears our prayers and looks for ways to bless us. So, no matter how dire the headlines, we already know that the story will end on a positive note. The experiences of the apostle Paul illustrate this principle:  

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,” he wrote in 2 Corinthians. “I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

Now, fast-forward about 2,000 years, and there’s still plenty of danger and negativity to go around. So, what’s the secret for achieving a joy-filled, Christ-centered life? The Bible tells us to blend thanksgiving for our blessings and authentic, regular prayer with discernment — those ongoing, intentional functions of living, thinking, and acting positively. Looking for the good and dwelling on the positive should therefore become second nature.

When our lives are filled with gratitude and joy, even the most unpleasant of circumstances can’t bring us down. Paul spent years in prison chained to his guards while under the constant threat of death. But he always prayed thankfully and joyously. And instead of feeling sorry for himself, he used his situation to change the lives of fellow prisoners and jailers alike — and all while writing much of what we today know as the New Testament. 

Yes, times are tough these days and the news is bleak. But Paul’s advice to today’s weary Christ-followers is still timely, profound, and relevant:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Best Laid Plans

We are ruined by our own stupidity, though we blame the Lord.

– Proverbs 19:3

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray,” wrote poet Robert Burns. And no matter how well we prepare, stuff happens. When it does, it can lead to disappointment — or much worse. Just ask the Coca-Cola executives about their disastrous product known as New Coke.

Back in the 1970s and 80s, Coca-Cola and Pepsi were engaged in an intense conflict to win the hearts, minds, and tastebuds of American consumers. The press dubbed the companies’ marketing efforts The Cola Wars.

The Pepsi Challenge is probably the best-known battle of the conflict. It was a series of TV commercials depicting head-to-head taste test comparisons between the two colas. Time after time, Pepsi was the people’s choice. And within a few years, Pepsi’s sales overtook Coke’s, which led to one of the greatest marketing blunders of all time: the reformulation of tried-and-true Coca-Cola into New Coke.

Consumers didn’t like it. And after plummeting sales and more than 400,000 letters of complaint, Coke’s executives admitted their mistake, reintroduced the beverage’s original formula (called Coca-Cola Classic), and eventually won back their audience. Now fast-forward nearly 40 years, and Coca-Cola remains America’s leading carbonated soft drink company with a volume share of 46.3%. Pepsi ranks second at 24.7%.

We all make plans that result in varying degrees of success or failure. And we’ve also felt from time to time like our circumstances have gotten out of hand. Maybe you feel like that today — and for good reason. But believe it or not, God is in control of the situation.  

This is a fundamental truth that every Christ-follower should embrace. But one reason that we don't feel his control is because we can't see the big picture. We don’t know the life-changing people and situations that he’ll introduce to the mix. We also don’t have his vantage point of knowing what’s around the corner and miles up the road. Moreover, it’s hard for us to see a greater purpose in our lives when we're going through the pain of unemployment, lingering illness, family problems, or even death. But God IS in control. And for those who trust and follow him, he offers this assurance:

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you,” says our Creator. “Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Have your best-laid plans led to frustration and depression? Don’t lose hope. God knows what we need — and he knows it long before we ask him for help. And when our plans align with his purpose, success is on the horizon … even if it's not how we envisioned it.