I John 4:21 – “Anyone who loves God must also love his brother and sister.”
A little girl was leaving church one day, and she told her mother, “The preacher’s sermon was confusing.” “In what way?” asked the mother. “Well,” said the girl, “He said God is bigger than we are. Is that true?” The mother told her it was true. “But he also said that God lived inside of us,” said the little girl, “Is that true?” “Well, yes, that’s true, too,” the mother said. “Well, if God is bigger than us but also inside of us,” the girl asked, “Shouldn’t He be showing through?” God should be showing through, shouldn’t He? God shows through when you love your neighbor as yourself. God shows through when we love the poor, the powerless. If you are a follower of Jesus, ask yourself, “How can I allow more of Jesus to show through me to a world that is in need?” Do you remember when Jesus, in great humility, got down on his hands and knees and washed the feet of the disciples? What a dirty, smelly job it is to wash someone else’s feet, but Jesus was willing to do whatever needed to be done in love for the sake of others, whether it was washing feet or giving His life on the Cross. Sometimes I wonder if there are too many of us who are standing on our dignity, rights, and religion when we need to be kneeling at the feet of our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, and asking, “What can I do to make life better for you?” Nothing speaks louder to a non-believing world than when we allow more of Jesus to show through in how we love those around us. The song says it well, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
A little girl was leaving church one day, and she told her mother, “The preacher’s sermon was confusing.” “In what way?” asked the mother. “Well,” said the girl, “He said God is bigger than we are. Is that true?” The mother told her it was true. “But he also said that God lived inside of us,” said the little girl, “Is that true?” “Well, yes, that’s true, too,” the mother said. “Well, if God is bigger than us but also inside of us,” the girl asked, “Shouldn’t He be showing through?” God should be showing through, shouldn’t He? God shows through when you love your neighbor as yourself. God shows through when we love the poor, the powerless. If you are a follower of Jesus, ask yourself, “How can I allow more of Jesus to show through me to a world that is in need?” Do you remember when Jesus, in great humility, got down on his hands and knees and washed the feet of the disciples? What a dirty, smelly job it is to wash someone else’s feet, but Jesus was willing to do whatever needed to be done in love for the sake of others, whether it was washing feet or giving His life on the Cross. Sometimes I wonder if there are too many of us who are standing on our dignity, rights, and religion when we need to be kneeling at the feet of our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, and asking, “What can I do to make life better for you?” Nothing speaks louder to a non-believing world than when we allow more of Jesus to show through in how we love those around us. The song says it well, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
– Dr. Tim Thompson