On three different occasions over the past several weeks, Saturday afternoons found me following my husband around Lowe's, Scruggs, and Home Depot. These are not the places I would choose to go on a Saturday. I mean, I would never wake up and say, "You know, I really want to go Home Depot today and look around." I know it is often necessary to go places like this; but they are not places I would consider fun.
On the other hand, my husband quite enjoyed his time in each store. He loves tools. He does little projects around the house from time to time, so he loves checking out different things at Lowe's and Home Depot. In Scruggs he looked at guns, knives, cowboy boots, camping equipment and I can't remember what else. He was having fun. Mostly, I just followed him around. I wasn't nearly as entertained as he was, but I was with him and I enjoyed seeing him have such a good time.
We do things like this for those we love. I would much rather have been in a clothing store or a book store or maybe Hobby Lobby. But it was OK because the most important thing to me on those three Saturdays was that I was able to watch him enjoy himself. It wasn't about me. It was about him ... and it was worth it. I get my days, too. Sometimes (many times) love means doing something you don't really want to do.
I suppose everyone in the country knew yesterday was Valentine's Day. Love for that special someone was expressed in countless ways -- words, gifts, hugs, fine meals shared together. It's good to be able express our love to our sweethearts on February 14th; but we all know that love should really be expressed every day. I mean really, if we only did this once a year, how many relationships do you think would last? I'm thinking, probably not very many.
We all know that love is expressed in different ways. We say it to one another. We give physical affection. We buy gifts. We cook a special meal or block out a certain amount of special time for each other. And then sometimes we do things we don't really want to do.
What would that be? We all know this could be a number of different things. Sometimes the sacrifice is not really that big; sometimes it is. We might go somewhere we don't want to go ... spend time with people we hardly know; but they are friends or relatives of someone special to him. It might mean listening to unsolicited advice from his grandmother or putting up with his brother's spoiled children. (This could go either way folks. I'm speaking from the feminine side; but the guys put up with things like this, too).
Sometimes, it might be something much more serious than even this. Sometimes it really might mean giving up something for yourself so that another can have what they need or want. That might be for a child, a spouse, or a parent. It might mean running out in the middle of the night to pick up someone whose car has broken down on the side of the road. It might mean giving up your meal when someone has shown up unexpectedly at supper time.
We learn this kind of love from our Savior. Think about it. Do you think He really wanted to go that cross? Jesus begged God to let that cup pass from Him. He knew what was coming. He knew the pain and the shame He was about to endure. Jesus prayed to His Father for another way.
Yet there was no other way. Christ's blood was the only sacrifice for our sins. It was the only way that those who were about to crucify Him would ever even have the slightest chance of being saved. So He did what He did not want to do. He did this because He loved us. Out of His great mercy and grace and love, He put Himself in our place and paid the price for our sins.
I am not saying anything new here. We all know what He did for us; but it is important to think about. We need to be reminded of His sacrifice. Remembering what He did for us will give us the impetus we need to serve Him. Romans 12:1 is a very well known verse. Paul tells us we must give ourselves over to Christ -- we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice which is our reasonable service. Reasonable service? I would say so! His death was a sacrifice for us -- the ultimate sacrifice. And so giving our lives in service to Him -- is absolutely totally reasonable.
We are human and sometimes we forget this. Sometimes we forget the depth of His sacrifice -- the depth of His love. He set us free from sin and with that freedom we have access to the Father and hope of heaven IF we choose to serve Him. That is not always easy. Living in a predominantly "me, me, me" society, it is difficult to serve others.
I once had someone tell me they didn't go to visitations or funerals when someone they knew passed away. That person said they "just didn't like going to funeral homes." Well, I don't think I know anyone that likes to do that. We would really rather be somewhere else. It isn't easy to comfort someone who has lost a loved one. But we all know it is the right thing to do. Here our love and kindness is needed and means so much!
After working all day, maybe we would rather come home and relax than go to the church building a few extra nights that week and teach Vacation Bible School. Maybe we had rather take our regular Sunday afternoon nap than go visit the nursing home. We may need our sleep because we know we have to be at work the next day, but if someone needs you to spend the night with the hospital - that is what we do. We do these things out of love.
Love is service. Love is putting others first. How can we really say we love Christ, and yet not do some of the things we have mentioned? How can we tell our Redeemer who hung on a cross and died for all of us that we don't want to support a church activity on a Saturday, because after all we have worked all week and we need a day to ourselves?
We are human and sometimes we do need a rest; but sometimes we need to sacrifice.
Paul says in Galatians 5:13 that we should "through love serve one another." Consider his words (through inspiration) from I Corinthians 9:19 - "For though I be free from all men, yet I have made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." Paul says he will gain more to Christ by being a servant.
When Jesus finished washing the dirty, grimy feet of the disciples He said to them, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." (John 13:14-15)
Then as Jesus begins to tell them He will only be with them just a little while longer, He says in vs. 34 - "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
Other verses in the Bible speak of love and service - but I think these words of Jesus get the point across pretty well. He washed their feet and gave them an example of service. He told them they should be willing to be servants to each other. Then He tells them to love each other just as He has loved them. At that time, they might not have understood the depth of this command; but by the time they preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost, they came to know exactly what Jesus meant.
Love is wonderful; but it isn't just a feeling. Love is an action word and Jesus showed us that throughout His entire life. He asks us to follow His example. After all, it is our reasonable service.
Christ above all things,
Robin
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