Day 21: Jesus Thanks The Father
for Revealing Life to the Childlike
7Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:7-10
The Apostle John couldn’t have made it any simpler than this: If we love, we are children of God. If we don’t love, we are not God’s children. All this week we’ve been talking about being childlike and about being children of God. As we close out the week, let’s take this simple quiz:
Am I loving? YES NO (Circle one)
If the answer is YES—Praise God! That means you’re a child of God. If the answer is NO—then according to John that means you are not living as a child of God. Our lives as followers of Jesus are not just words—they are LIVES full of actions. Love is an action, not words or feelings as the word LOVE is used in the Bible. Who do you know who needs to know the love of Jesus? Take the initiative. Be the one to show that person the love of Jesus. Think of one person right now that you know who is far from God. Call that person up and invite him or her to join us in worship tomorrow morning. When you call, offer to pick them up for worship, or to meet them at the door of the High School at a particular time. Show the person (people) that you care about them—that you are living in love. Imagine if that invitation is the reason that the person ultimately becomes a follower of Jesus. YOU will be a participant in moving someone from the ranks of hell to the ranks of heaven! That’s why we’re here. Once we know Jesus, we are called to live those loving lives that draw others to Him. There’s no better day than today to live in that love that only God provides. Such lives start “cycles of gratitude,” because you will touch others lives, and when God becomes real to them they will thank you, and God, and then they will live the life themselves, and they will show love to others who will thank them and God and …… That’s Jesus’ plan! Be a part of it TODAY!
Questions and Comments for Reflection and Action:
Who are you going to invite to worship tomorrow? Make a “list.” Pray over the list and then invite one or more of the folks on the list to join us!
Thank God that someone invited you to God’s love!