Jesus Christ is the standard by which all Christians must model our lives. Christians are called to be an example of his suffering (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus’ self-sacrificing death is the example of love that Christians are called to express. Just as James insisted that “faith without works is dead,” John insists that love without sacrificial deeds is empty.
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:16-18).
Once a young couple left their home church to attend Bible college in preparation for the ministry. Each week they would receive cards and letters with words of encouragement. One day the young man heard his wife weeping and asked, “What’s wrong?” Through tears she replied, “We have no food and no money.” The young man began gathering all of the cards and letters from home. His wife asked, “What are you going to do with those?” He replied, “I’m taking them to the store to see how much food I can buy with them.”
Love cannot be fully expressed with beautiful words. Christian love must be fully expressed through compassionate acts of generosity.
Love begins in what we see. If we refuse to see the suffering of our brother or sister, then we are walking in self-imposed blindness. Spiritually blind eyes are symptomatic of a closed heart. “He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses” (Proverbs 28:27).
Love requires movement – a closed heart is opened. An opened heart compels a series of loving actions.
If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks (Deuteronomy 15:7-8).
An open heart focuses the eyes so that we can clearly see the suffering and distress of those around us. An open heart heals a stiff hand so that we can reach out with generosity. An open heart motivates slow feet so that we can quickly intervene.
Open hearts open the doors of the church to the world. Jesus warned the Laodicean church that wealth had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts. They had closed the door of their church. Jesus knocks for the door to be opened. If the Laodicean believers will open their hearts, the church will be refreshed.
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24-25, NLT).
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