His Love, Written Into My Story

What if your life and your actions could be proof of a love someone is desperately searching for? And I don't mean in a worldly way, but a love that surpasses all understanding and will never be gone.

This kind of love is the love Jesus showed us. He doesn't love us from a distance. He laid down His life for you and for me. 1 John 3:16 shows us that.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” — 1 John 3:16

This verse tells us that because He loves us this way and laid down His life for us, we are called to love others just as He loved us.

When I read this verse, I think about how often I talk about God's love. It is in the songs I sing, in the verses I read and even in posts I see on social media. But I also know I am called to let my life be proof of this love.

Jesus gives us the ultimate example of sacrificial and eternal love. He willingly laid down His life so that we could spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Because of this, our lives are to be a reflection of this love to the people around us.

This could be in the form of forgiving when it's difficult, choosing patience when it is frustrating, serving others quietly and not to be seen by others, checking on the person who has been on your heart for a while or simply showing kindness when you have no reason to.

We don't have to prove God's love. Jesus did that when He died on the cross for us. But we can let our lives be proof of what His love did for us and share that with someone who might need it.

But sometimes, I think we make loving others harder than it has to be. I know I find myself feeling like I have to make this big, significant event as proof of my love to make an impact in someone else's life. But what if it is just showing Jesus' love through the small, ordinary moments?

What if it is giving grace to someone who hurt me? Encouraging others when they feel discouraged? Seeing someone who is alone and just sitting with them and offering a listening ear? Choosing to love others who can't do anything for me in return? Choosing to help a friend out without expecting anything in return?

We never know the impact a small act of love could have on someone's life. We don't know what they are walking through or carrying the weight of on their shoulders. But we can choose to live in a way that gives them a glimpse of Jesus and reminds them that they don't have to walk through those things alone.

I don't want people to only hear me talk about how much I love Jesus or the impact He has had on my life. I don't want them to only hear me tell them how much Jesus loves them. I want them to be able to see that truth in the way I live my life.

I want my life to reflect the love of the One who first loved me enough to sacrifice His life for mine.

I want the way I forgive to be a reminder of His grace. I want my kindness to remind someone of how good He is. I want my patience to remind someone of His patience. I want my willingness to serve to remind someone that I don't serve to earn His love. I serve because I have already received it.

I want my life to be proof of His love.

Quiet Time Questions 💬

• What does 1 John 3:16 teach you about the way Jesus loves you?
• Are there areas of your life where you talk about God's love more than you actually demonstrate it? What might it look like to live that out?
• Who is someone in your life who may need to experience the love of Jesus through your actions right now?
• What is one practical way you can let your life be proof of His love this week?
• Is there someone you need to forgive, be patient with, encourage, or extend grace toward? What is holding you back?
• If someone only experienced Jesus' love through the way you treated them, what would they see?