Day 9 talking about sincere love vs. pretend love. May be some of you it might take you back to the days of school. Sometimes you have friends that are nice to you in person or sometimes in a crowd and then trash talks you behind your back. That's not a great freind to have, it dosn't encourage you either.
Hopefully this devotion can show you to love not only your friends as Christ dose, but even yourr enemies and those that hurt you too. Which is the most hardest to do!
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
16 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. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister[f] in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![s] Pray for those who persecute you!45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.[d] Love each other deeply with all your heart.[e]
Our gift of salvation should motivate us to live lives of love and sacrifice not only to God, but to other people as well.
Paul tells us that love must be sincere (Romans 12:9). Sincere love is difficult to find. More often what we see is an artificial, hypocritical lovesomething that people do for appearances or only when it is convenient and easy. There is no true sacrifice within it, and no desire to look out for the interests of other people above their own.
Yet the Bible defines love differently: 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. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:16-18).
Sincere love is not something we only show to our family and friends. When we truly love other people the way God wants us to, this love extends to even those we think dont deserve our love. Jesus told us, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matthew 5:44, 4647).
Prayer: Father, help me to have a sincere love, even for those I find difficult to love. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).
That is a very hard challenge to do – to really do. It is hard enough sometimes to love those who are good friends and family and it is super hard to love those who reject, hurt, slander and lie to you and about you – but that is where the reward is.
God, please help me love those who don't love me. Help me treat them with compassion – always. That doesn't mean I let them abuse me, but it does mean I am willing and ready to forgive. Thank-you for loving and forgiving me. Amen.