The Imitation Gauge

 

Love the world. Bear God-like love, mercy, kindness, and help.

 

We so love the world that we give our first and our best.

Loosen your grip on God’s blessings.

Release God’s blessings for the sake of others.

You humbly depend on God—as you learn to see his beauty and majesty everywhere. You take hold every gift he's given you and you take responsibility for them. You're adapting to your new identity and your new home culture. With these commitments in place, you're ready to venture out in Christ's authority—to carry Jesus' love to a broken and hurting world.

Love—the currency of God’s kingdom. Throughout the New Testament, we see the supremacy of love again and again. Look at Jesus’ Great Commandments (Matt. 22:36-40) and the Royal Law (James 2:8).

Love is an imprecise word in the English language. So many different emotions and behaviors fit under the umbrella of that term. But there's a kind of love that carried Jesus to the cross:

“It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:7-8

This is the same kind of love Jesus tells us to show our neighbor; even our enemies! It's more than a feel-good love. It's caritas—good works for the sake of others that might require your own self-denial, suffering, ridicule, and rejection. In 1 Corinthians 13, we're told that no matter what else we might think is important to God, love exceeds them all. This, more than any other way, is how we imitate God in the world. Because God is love.

Like every other gift of grace, we need to take hold of God’s love and expand our capacity to love others. Throughout its history, the Church has—at times, and in places—changed the world by loving people in self-denying, risky, costly, others-oriented ways.

With God-like love, give generously — your first and your best.

With God-like love, give generously — your first and your best.

“Do not just pretend to love others. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. ”
— Romans 12:9
 

    1. Am I a reliable conduit of God-like love and hope?

    2. Do I serve others, even if it’s inconvenient and they don’t show appreciation?

    3. Am I an active participant in my church, Christ’s local body?

    1. In what ways did Jesus show practical love? Who did he show love to? What kinds of people?

    2. What did Jesus say are the Greatest Commandments? (Matthew 22:36-40) How do these highlight the importance of love?

    1. How can you take a step toward loving more—even loving people you may not like? Go on a mission trip? Help with a local serving opportunity? Get to know a neighbor? Move toward relationship with a difficult coworker?

    2. Sometimes it's easier to love others than to allow others to love us. How can you let your guard down and become a little more transparent so God and others can show love to you?

 
 

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