How are you at loving your brother?

 

READ: 1 John 3:16-18

 

1 John 3:17

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? (NIV)

 

 

• “Has material possessions” – has more than they need
• “Sees his brother” – Christian brother or sister
• “But has no pity on them” – doesn’t help them out of Christian love
• Pity – “a deep seated emotional concern or sympathy”
• How can the love of God be in him? – Are they truly saved?

 

APPLICATION:

• If we have the means, we should help our brothers and sisters in Christ
• If we don’t then where is the proof of our salvation?

 

 

There was a family at our church in Alpine whose husband had passed away. This particular man was a hoarder. I had never met a hoarder before. There were piles everywhere! There were shelves with four toasters, and six stereos, and multiples of everything stacked on top of one another. Out back there was one of those big metal shipping containers. It was chalked full of stuff – floor to ceiling. The wife and daughter were overwhelmed with what to do with all of this stuff. We scheduled a work day to go over to help the family. When I got there I was shocked by the number of people from the church that were there to help. There were teams of people everywhere. One of the men from the church brought a dump truck from his business, and we loaded truck load after truck load of junk and took it to the dump. It took a couple of weeks, but they got it done. This was a true demonstration of love and devotion to one of our own.

 

This is how we recognize a loving church. This is how brothers and sisters in Christ should be towards one another. When we see a need we step in, we fill the gap, we roll up our sleeves and get dirty for one another.

 

In verse 16, John tells us, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Every Christian knows John 3:16, but not every Christian is living out 1 John 3:16. We see needs all around us, and many times we set aside our responsibility, and simply allow the state to handle it. With so many government agencies available today, we tend to ignore the mandate found here for us as believers.

 

Warren Wiersbe says in one of his books, “Christian love involves sacrifice and service. Christ did not simply talk about His love; He died to prove it.” He goes on to say, “But God does not ask us to lay down our lives. He simply asks us to help a brother in need.”[i] It is easy to talk about helping a brother in need, but it is another thing to actually do something.

 

Another author said it this way, “The true test of love is not one’s verbal profession of it (loving with words or tongue) but his willingness to help and thus to love … with actions and in truth.”[ii] In a church our size there are plenty of opportunities to share our love, and to help one another. We currently have a young family that desperately needs an extra car so that the wife and kids aren’t trapped at home without a vehicle while dad is at work. We have an older gentleman who is at the stage of life where driving himself to doctors appointments is becoming more and more precarious. We have elderly widows who sit at home staring at the same four walls day after day hoping that someone will call or visit.

 

The needs can be overwhelming, and sometimes just communicating those needs takes organization and planning. We are all busy and have places to be and things to do. But when do we take the opportunity to love as Jesus loved? Being a part of a family takes time and initiative, and yes even sacrifice.

 

I have witnessed many men and women step up to help one another in many ways here at our church. But the needs don’t stop, and there is plenty to go around. Help isn’t always about money or things, sometimes it is just a listening ear or knocking down some weeds. Help your church wherever you may be attending to live out this mandate. Help us to be the church that we were called to be.

 

Ask God to show you the needs that are around you, and how you can be a part of the solution.

 

 

Each week’s Monday Motivation is taken from the reading schedule found in the Life Journal. If you are ready for the next step in your discipleship, then order yours today or see me for a copy.

www.lifejournal.cc

 

If you would like help in growing in your faith, or if you would like to know how to have faith in Him, then please contact us at (928)636-2949 or email me at pastorguy@cvgrace.com

 

 

 

[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 511). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[ii] Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 897). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.