Don’t Say It; Show It

December 13, 2018

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:7-12
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:16-18

The apostle John is called the apostle of love. He was extremely close to Jesus, in His inner circle, and even called himself “the disciple Jesus loved.” Nearly everything he wrote surrounded the message of love, the central message of Jesus. These verses are a succinct condensation of what John knew. God is love. He showed His love by giving. Our love is the proof that we know God. Our love is proven by the way we extend it and give it to others. Don’t just say it; show it.

Loving words are wonderful to hear. But they mean nothing if they are not backed up by action. In fact, actions motivated by love soften hearts and make them receptive to words of love. Show it, then speak it.

The most effective way of loving is first action, then words—making sure they match.

Look today for someone in need of love. Show them love by giving, and pray for an opportunity to speak love.