Today's Scripture:
1 John 4:7-21

Key Verse:
1 John 4:7

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."

The Point:

A Loving Heart - Changing Our Hearts to Love Others

Personal identity is a frequent topic in our day. If you have trusted Christ as your personal savior, you have a new identity in Him; you are a child of God. The scriptures teach clearly we are to live like Christ lived and if we do we become known as a Christian. Here is a short story about Alexander the Great and the importance of an "identity."

History tells of a young soldier who once stood before Alexander the Great. The records are unclear - perhaps he had fallen asleep at his post, perhaps he fled in retreat, or perhaps he was guilty of theft. Whatever the offense, the failure was serious enough to be brought before the conqueror of nations himself.

Alexander fixed his eyes on the trembling soldier. "What is your name?" he demanded.
"Alexander, sir," came the reply.
The general asked again, sharper this time: "What is your name?"
Again, the young man whispered, "Alexander, sir."
A third time, with thunder in his voice, Alexander the Great pressed him: "What is your name?"
"Alexander, sir," the soldier stammered.
At last, the king leaned forward and declared: "Then either change your conduct - or change your name."

In 1 John 4:7 it says that everyone who loves is born of God. In the following verse it says that God is love. Therefore, we can surmise that if we are to live with a thriving heart, we must revive our love for each other. We hold the title of being Christ-like, and we are created and shaped in the image of God. Through this logical exercise, we can conclude that if God is love and we are made in His image, then we have the capacity to also have that same love for others within us.

I say capacity because, as we all know, it is difficult to love with a biblical love. So difficult, in fact, that I think you would agree the need for revival often stems first and foremost from us losing our biblical love for each other and God. We become bitter and hard-hearted.

God, our Father, will not command us to change our proverbial spiritual name, because that is impossible. But in verse 7, He does, in a sense, make sure that we understand our conduct must align with His.
"...and every one that loveth is born of God..."

So, the two questions we must ask ourselves for this 19^th Day of Prayer are: What is love? & What does it mean to love one another?

So, what is love? Put simply, love is sacrificial, and it is an action, not an emotion. It is a choice, not a feeling. A heart revived by God overflows with love, not just for Him, but for those around us.

If you are married, how do you love your spouse? Do you always have that warm and fuzzy feeling? If we're being honest with ourselves, the answer is no. So, when we say I love you, we are saying I am choosing to love you through my actions and through the choices I make towards you. So how are we to love one another? Again, simply put, do things for their benefit even at our inconvenience. Sacrificially means we lose something during the process. Christ sacrificed His life for us. That is the ultimate love.