Unexpected Love

There is a place between hope and certainty that is, quite often, filled with wonderfully unexpected things. For example, a young man might ask a young woman to go out for dinner. Before she says 'yes' or 'no' there is an air of uncertainty in the man's heart. "Will she say yes?" he wonders. He hopes.

From the woman's point of  view, she must make a choice. "Should I or shouldn't I?" It's that simple. There is a proposition and a response. A 'yes' will bring immediate joy. A 'no' will mean rejection and sadness.

Our response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is much the same. He offers hope for the sinner by forgiving sins and offering eternal life. This is in exchange for our devotion and love.

When we make a choice and accept God's offer of love we receive grace. We enter into "God's rest." It's a wonderful place to be. My question today is, do we exhibit God's love in our earthly relationships? Do we extend grace to others when none is expected? Do we offer unexpected love to the people in our lives?

Jesus said, "Love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU."

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

How will we exhibit love today in the lives of the people we meet? What does 'love' look like to someone who is lonely or hurting? Perhaps it's a smile or a hug. Perhaps it's going out of our way to demonstrate our love.

Volunteering. Mentoring. Random acts of kindness.

God made an offer to us. We as Christians accepted that offer. The last part of the verse above reads, "so you must love one another." We are to love each other like Christ loved us. That's a command.

What will our love to 'one another' look like today?

You Can Have Me - Sidewalk Prophets