Giving What You’ve Been Given
Christians should be the most loving people on the planet. We have accepted the ultimate gift from God. We have not only received salvation and eternal life, but we’ve received the gift of God Himself—love.
But that doesn't mean everyone is easy to love! Most of us have relationships in our lives that are difficult or painful to engage in. However, Scripture encourages us to make every opportunity possible to love those around us.
God the Father gave us the breath that we breathe. Jesus brought us to Himself so that we might be saved by His power. The Spirit of God lives within us and empowers us for every good deed. All of these things have been freely given to us with no strings attached.
Having received this amazing love and mercy from God, we ought to love others in the same way. When we love others in the same manner that God has loved us, we exhibit the greatest evidence that we are children of God.
If we fail to love those around us, we also fail to show them the love of God. We should not deny others what we’ve been freely given. Loving others doesn’t mean we need to willingly be mistreated, or agree with someone else’s lifestyle or worldview. It does mean that we need to use every opportunity to love them the way God loves them.
Take some time today to reflect first on the love of God that you have received through Christ, and write down some simple steps you can take to show that love to the people He's put in your life.
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...