“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)
On the heels of yesterday’s entry we find another verse in John’s first letter that drives home the whole concept of love being an action word. We tend to throw around the word love as if it were a plaything, never quite realizing it’s ability to either help or hinder. When we tell someone we love him or her certain expectations arise. The receiver of such kind words looks for a show of compassion and kindness along with in many cases an attachment of romanticism. We can hurt a person’s heart if we say such things and not truly mean them. This is why it’s imperative that we learn to show our love in addition to verbalizing it.
God gave us the supreme example and while we are certainly not expected to lay our life down for all we proclaim our love to, it’s important that our sentiments not lie empty on the ground. God expects us to follow suit and show the world what true love is; hence the verse in John’s gospel (John 13:35) that the world will know we are believers in Christ by our love for one another. As instructed, we are to love with the same love God first showed us. Action trumps words any day of the week. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
