We are called to demonstrate the love and character of Jesus in every moment of our lives. We know this because it is what Jesus did. The problem is, if we aren’t intentional about this mission, it won’t happen. How many days have slipped through our fingers without showing more than a cursory amount of love to anyone but ourselves? As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me it would be a good idea to answer four questions each day.
You can incorporate these into your daily planning. The questions are: How will I show love to my spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend today? How will I show love for a family member today? How will I show love for a friend today? How will I show love for a stranger today?
How will I show love to my spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend today?
It’s easy to take our spouses (or any relationship for that matter) for granted. We have a God given responsibility to love our spouse as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:22-28). There are few things I can think of which would be more beneficial for your relationship than intentionally planning specific ways to demonstrate your love today. String enough of these days together and I’m certain you will see many positive changes in your marriage or relationships. As a bonus, you’ll be obeying God and looking a lot like Jesus along the way.
How will I show love for a family member today?
This can be tough with family dynamics being what they often are. Still, we see in Scripture we are commanded to look after the needs of our families before those of strangers (1 Timothy 5:8, Isaiah 58:6-7). Those needs could be material, physical, spiritual, or emotional. Regardless of the need, I am certain there are ways you can find to reflect the character of God by showing love to a member of your family today.
How will I show love for a friend today?
I am notoriously bad at nurturing friendships. Between work and writing, I’m not the most accessible person. I think it’s one of the reasons God put these questions on my heart. Since the vast majority of my friends are non-Christians, there is perhaps no greater need than for me to be consistently demonstrating and speaking God’s love into their lives. Pick a friend for today and determine the best way to show them some love.
How will I show love for a stranger today?
This is the most difficult question to answer because you probably don’t know which stranger in need you will encounter today. So rather than having a definitive answer, I think it’s enough to roll this around in your mind throughout the day. This will heighten your awareness to any opportunity to express unexpected and random kindness to a stranger.
How Will You Love Today?
Perhaps you won’t answer all four questions every day, but I do encourage to pick at least one each day. We all need to make demonstrating and reflecting God’s love an ingrained habit in our lives. It should come as naturally as breathing, and for that to happen requires practice. Hopefully you are already far better at this than I am. For the rest of us, let’s start taking five minutes each morning to intentionally and specifically determine how we will demonstrate the love of Christ to those around us today.