By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)
Recently at my home church we started a six week study called "40 Days of Love" which was written by Rick Warren (Sr Pastor of Saddleback Church). This is the same type of study that some of you may have done like 40 Days of Purpose or 40 Days of Community. All of these are great six week studies designed to grow, stretch and strengthen your faith. It is said that it takes six weeks to develop or break a habit so these fit right in there in creating a new way of thinking. Over the next few posts I want to take some of what I have gleaned from this study and share my perspective.
Though not from the study, but rather from my heart, today's post is entitled Love is a Verb. This is something that I have discussed many times with sponsors and others when presenting Compassion's programs. You see we can say we love someone or something but that is really just words. Love requires action, love requires doing. I can tell my wife over and over that I love her but unless I back those words with actions then it just means nothing to her. Those actions too must reflect my words. They are tied together. I cannot say I love her and then treat her harshly for that negates the statement.
Jesus is love in human form. From his birth to death everything he did was done in love for us. There is no better proof to my statement than to look at his life. He took the time to listen to people, to minister to them and to meet them where they were. Take a look at John 3:16. His final act of dying on the cross for our sins is the ultimate act of love. Sin requires sacrifice and God so loved us that he allowed his son to die for us. Jesus readily did this because He loved. Our study is based on Jesus' statement that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. This statement covers everything. If we use Jesus as our model than our actions must speak louder than words when we say we love.
Those of you that know my journey with Compassion know that my life was changed when I met my sponsored child. It was her actions that brought home the importance of this ministry. I travelled to meet her and in a sense that was an act of love but at the time it was not done with that intention. I went for selfish reasons and figured I would be an inspiration in showing up for her. When she stepped out of the crowd to meet us all dressed up and in tears my heart was changed and broken. The fact that she was in poverty and yet dressed up to meet us showed us how important we were to her. Her tears showed how much she cared and loved us. If she had just shown up and said she loved us for sponsoring her it would have still be an awesome day. However it was her actions that conveyed how she felt and it was those actions that changed me. Love is powerful and can bring about many changes but in order for that to happen it must become a verb.
Blessings <><
Next up: What really is a Compassion Sunday......
Chuck is a Christian husband and father who has served in part-time ministry for 17 years, and is a deacon at his church. He has been a Compassion International Advocate/Area Coordinator for several years, finding families to sponsor Compassion children throughout the world. His passion is letting others know how important it is to release children from poverty. Be sure to check out his blog, Sharing Compassion.