Day 87: Dare to Love!

John 15:12-13

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Luke 10:30-37

30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant[d]walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,[e] telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Love takes risks, we have to take a chance on loving people sometimes. This means putting ourselves on the line for our friends and for other people. Love is selfless. Love is willing to lose in order to help someone else across the finish line.

I came across a video today of the Love run. When a woman was too weak to cross the finish line, two men aided her towards the finish line as hundreds of other people passed her up, in efforts to finish the race themselves. As they got closer another man came and carried her to the finish line, and when he got her there he put down to allow her to cross the finish line herself. He did not make this victory about himself by carrying her across the finish line but he helped her to it.

We have to choose as followers of Christ to be the one person to stop and help someone in need. We have to be the person that’s going to take a lost so that someone else can win and in the end it’s not about winning or losing it’s about selfless love.

Our generation is sometimes obsessed with self, we are so focused on winning and doing things for ourselves that we forget that there is a whole world outside of us. There are people who need love, and if we are so consumed with loving ourselves or making sure we are winning do we really have time for anyone else? Do we really have time to sacrifice, and love people like Christ loved us? Jesus was not concerned about himself when He came to earth, he was concerned with His people, his focus was on us. His love was geared toward even the people that hated Him. Our generation is also consumed with only loving those who love us, only doing for those who do for us. But what about the people who don’t love us, what about the people who could care less about us, can we dare to love them. Can we dare to carry them to the finish line.

The story of the Good Samaritan is so profound because, there was so much strife between the jews and Samaritans at this time, racial tensions between the two groups of people, which is why he is called a “despised Samaritan”, Yet he was the only one to even consider stopping to help this man, knowing the troubles between he and this Jewish man, he was willing to put that aside and see a need that needed to be met. Knowing that there was a possibility that this man would hate him he still took a chance. We have to be the same, even when we are despised, even when it’s not about us, even when we know we will get nothing in return; we must dare to love. It is the only thing that will keep this world from  completely falling apart. We must dare to love selflessly in a world that is so selfish. We must be the ones to make the choice to go back for the person that everyone has stepped over. We must be willing to help our enemies. We must learn to risk it all for love. It will be worth it.

Reflection

1. Would you be willing to take a loss so that someone else can win?
2. Do you consider yourself a selfless person?
3. How far will you go to make sure someone knows they are loved by you?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Talk to God about what it means to love like Him.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day/evening. Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 88!