The Outworking of Love

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." - 1 John 3:16

Christ showed His love for us by His sacrifice. We are called to do the same for others. Very few of us will ever actually have to give our lives for someone else. But how many of us actually sacrifice for others? We are commanded in Scripture to love one another as Christ loved us. What does that mean in our everyday lives? Some people think I have sacrificed by coming to Honduras. That's true in part. However, that still isn't enough. We are called to lay down our lives daily for others. As I think about this, I realize how many times my selfishness sets in. There are many times when I pass up opportunities to bless others. I tend to put me first when things are not necessarily convenient. Of course, there are times when that is necessary. However, lack of convenience is not a reason to disobey the command to sacrifice ourselves for others. The past seven weeks, my pastor has been teaching on the church. We are the body of Christ. It is through us that Christ shows His love. As the church, we should be ever ready to sacrifice for our brothers and sisters. That means reaching beyond ourselves, even beyond our comfort zones. That means looking for opportunities to bless others, reaching out to others, even when it is not convenient. Only then can we truly share the love that Christ offered us by His sacrifice.