Scripture exhorts us to put love into practice.
By practicing love, I believe we will come to understand God’s immense love, Jesus’ immense love — if only a glimpse of it.
I have a friend living on public welfare. He’s a wonderful person, but he struggles with practical aspects of daily life. For example, he knows he should keep his home tidy but can’t seem to manage it. I visited him once with some church members to help clean up the trash around his home. We disposed of a considerable amount of trash and tidied up enough to make a comfortable living space. However, 6 months later I found him once again living in the same old messy environment. He allowed me to contact and inform his father of his condition.
Now his father, who is a Christian, is in poor health and unable to join fellowship meetings at church. But he offered to support our efforts financially, whether it be to assist his son or other people who have difficulties looking after themselves. So once again, I went his son’s home, along with five volunteers, to clean it up. And my friend allowed me to contact the city office to help him start living more independently.
Romans 12:9-10 says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Similarly, Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
As Christians, we are no longer under the Jewish law. However, through the practice of love we fulfill that law. My friend will need a great deal of encouragement and love from others in order to stand on his own two feet. Meanwhile, Christ promises to free us from the bad habits that control us. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross shows that we have not only forgiveness but also God’s freely given love. In response to this freely given love, I hope we will grow one small step at a time in the practice of brotherly love.