Reflecting Jesus’s Love
Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV)
Are we capable of reflecting the love of Jesus? Is it humanly possible to be His mirror image? Perhaps if we are going to prioritize things, this verse might do it: Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (HCSB) Love should be the thread that holds us together in seamless fashion. Dianne Neal Matthews (Mornings with Jesus) has a unique way of looking at life. Read on!
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For two years now, most of our possessions, including my seasonal décor, have been in a storage unit while my husband and I make decisions about housing for our post-retirement years. That’s why I enjoy holiday visits to my daughter’s house even more. I love seeing what she arranges on the three shelves on her living room wall. During a recent visit, I walked into the room on the evening of St. Patrick’s Day to find the shelves almost stripped bare, awaiting Easter and spring décor. Only one object remained—a large wooden block with the words of 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV): “Let all that you do be done in love.”
That wooden block with the scripture reminder is the one constant in my daughter’s holiday decorating—just as Jesus’s love is a constant in all seasons. Everything He did was motivated by love, whether teaching, healing, feeding crowds, speaking hard truths someone needed to hear, or dying on the cross. I want to be like Jesus and make love the foundation of all my attitudes, words, and actions toward Him and toward others. With His help, maybe I can learn to do even hard things in a loving way, such as being patient when it seems impossible or serving someone when I don’t feel like it.
Circumstances and emotions can change like the seasons, but I want to decorate my life by doing everything in love. That way I can reflect Jesus’s love to everyone around me.
FAITH STEP: Consider decorating your home with an object that reminds you to speak and act with love, as Jesus did.
Loving Lord, thank You for Your ever-present love, grace, and mercy. As we grow, help us to reflect You. Let us do everything in love. AMEN.