The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen. Now we are telling you about this eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us.
– 1 John 1:2
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 comfort, wisdom, and security, most people choose to follow the false gods of money, entertainment, materialism, and pleasure — to name just a few.
God’s response is to reach out in love to them by using Christ-followers like you and me. 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 really care about how much we know. It just wants to know how much we care.
The takeaway is that we must love like Jesus. But where do we begin?
We can start by sharing God’s love through character, which means bringing sincerity and 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.”
God's love brings us into real fellowship with Him and with his people. But we can’t continue that fellowship by pretending that we're perfect. Instead, it’s up to you and me as Christ-followers to walk honestly in the light. As Jesus encouraged his disciples through Matthew 5:16:
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
That’s how we’ll love like Jesus.
