A Heart Full of Love
READ: Acts 9:26-27
No one liked Georgianna. She was conceited and cruel towards everyone. On the other hand, everyone loved Elizabeth. Whenever she spoke, she encouraged others and always put others before herself. However, after many frustrating months of trying to show love to someone as seemingly indifferent as Georgianna was, even Elizabeth was about ready to give up.
Yet one day, people began to notice a change in Georgianna; she no longer made as many cruel comments to others and she began to offer hesitant smiles to her fellow classmates. Soon, people began to ask her why she was so different and she responded, “I found the love of God gazing out of Elizabeth’s eyes. When I saw how much she could love me, even when others hated me, I wanted to learn about what could cause people to behave like that. And she told me about Jesus..."
In a manner similar to Elizabeth, the disciple Barnabas was willing to show the love of Jesus to those who were “rejected” by others. When other Christians were skeptical of Saul’s sincerity, Barnabas “took him and brought him to the apostles.” When Paul later distrusted John Mark’s reliability, Barnabas “wanted to take” him on another journey. In order to show his love and encouragement to people, Barnabas willingly risked his own reputation and fear of rejection by the other disciples.
If people nowadays would let the love of Christ shine through all of their words and actions; if people would even show love to those who are hard to love, to those who are “rejected” by society, imagine how much better the world would be, and how many more people would know the love of Christ!
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: Who do you know that is hard to love? What, if anything, do you presently do to show them love? What more would you be able to do so that the love of Christ shines through your eyes?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Thank God for letting Him use you as a vessel to spread His Word and His love. Ask Him to make you more moldable to be able to do His work. Praise Him for being such an Awesome God and so full of love.