Love One Another

As I read this today in John 13, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." v. 34-35 I got to thinking....

How do I show love for others? Is my love for others evident to outsiders? Am I purposefully loving or do I just hope it happens? Do others know I love them? Is my love for others overflowing from the love of Christ, or am I aiming to love out of my own strength?

As I reflect, I think I tend to show my love for others through gift giving and words of encouragement. More often than not, I lack in loving intentionally and need to work on regularly and purposefully letting others know I love them (and doing so how they'd best receive it)! I certainly hope my love for others is evident to outsiders (as it alludes to in the verses above) and I hope others know just how much I love them (even when I fail at expressing it). Although love at it's best is rooted in the love of Christ, I know I struggle with that at times. I can tend to love out of my own selfishness and weakness, which means I am not loving well or selflessly.... which isn't love at all really.

As you reflect on the verses above, how are you moved to love more, better, or more Christ-like? Maybe it's writing a note of encouragement to a friend. Or perhaps it's extending forgiveness to someone undeserving of it. It could just mean spending more time with others. However God leads, I hope you'll join me in aiming to love one another as we're commanded to by the Lord!