You Can Do It!

Message Title: Help Us Love

Text: John 3:16, I John 3:16-18, 4:10-11, I Cor. 13:1-7

Message Audio: Listen HERE

On Sunday I wrapped up Circles, a series exploring the vital role of small groups in your spiritual formation. I finished things unpacking how small groups can help you love by helping you do. There is no such thing as Love in Action because Love is Action.  In this post, I remind you of the potential you ALREADY have to impact lives.

What if I told you, "You are fully equipped to meet the greatest need of those you encounter today?"

LOVE!

You have exactly what we need. Don't be fooled because many of us will pretend we don't need it. We will try to satisfy that need with achievement, success, wealth, thrills...but these are all square pegs for the round hole of love. But YOU are the round peg. Here is the beauty of it all:

• You don't need permission to give it.
• They don't have to believe in Jesus to receive it.
• You can give it to complete strangers.
• You have an unlimited supply of it (love is a renewable resource).
• It doesn't have to cost you a dime.
• You don't need training or experience.
• It is gender, age, and ethnically inclusive.
• It is multilingual.
• You can give it indoors, outdoors, online, in person, via text, with a glance, with a touch, and yes, you can even hand write it!
• It will give to you as you give it away.

So get out there and give people what they need:

• Smile at a stranger.
• Smile at a friend.
• Smile at your spouse (you might just blow their mind).
• Call your grocery checker by name.
• Ask you barista how she is doing and then listen.
• Leave a bigger tip.
• Write an encouraging note.
• Drop someone a Facebook message.
• Spend a hour on Facebook leaving encouraging comments on every post you see.
• Go "Like" crazy!
• Hug your children longer...until they squirm to get away, and then hug them a little bit more.
• Give your spouse a kiss.
• Look at people in the eyes when they talk.
• Buy some food for that individual you always drive past.
• Invite someone to lunch.
• Shovel your neighbor's driveway.
• Take your neighbor's trashcans from the street to the house.
• Bake someone cookies (eat a few yourself).
• Stop by the Return Counter with nothing to return and say, "I think you guys are doing a tremendous job!"
• Write a politician a kind letter.
• Let someone "in" on the commute home.
• Say, "I love you!"

You can do it!

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

- I John 4:10-11