As we recently celebrated Christmas, we heard about Jesus coming to earth as a baby, but have we really considered what He sacrificed to show us love in the Incarnation? Jesus came from the perfection and glory of heaven to the humility of a manger feeding-trough in order to rescue us. He willingly took on the confines of a helpless baby’s body out of love for us.
If we are going to love like Jesus, then we must also humble ourselves for others. True love requires humility. True love requires sacrifice. Are we willing to sacrifice in order to reach others with the love of Christ? Are we willing to love like Jesus, even if it means giving up comfort and preferences? We have to be intentional and carve out time to others if we are going to love them like Jesus. Loving like Jesus may be inconvenient at times. It may be messy. It may be uncomfortable. But loving like Jesus is the only way to show others the greatness of God’s love for them.
Jesus left heaven to show His love for us. What do we need to give up or leave behind in order to love like Jesus?
Here are some practical steps to consider as we seek to love like Jesus:
In addition to prayer, read the Bible to gain a better understanding of Christ-like love. Saturate your mind with the truth of how God’s Word describes true love. Passages such as I John 4:16, Ephesians 4:2, I Peter 4:8, I John 15:12, and I Corinthians 13 teach about sacrificial love.
Learn about the lives of other Christians so that you can be inspired by the great sacrifices they made in order to love like Jesus. Consider learning about Jim Elliot, Gladys Aylward, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Lottie Moon, and the Moravians. You can read biographies about these people or you can find great DVDs, like the Torchlighters series, which teach about them.
A life lived in love will not be wasted