LOVE

^"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."
1 John 3:16-20

It's not always easy to help the people who need us. Sometimes we don't know what to do, or we don't feel strong enough to provide for others. But in spite our shortcomings, God knows our hearts and our good intentions, and He assures us that He will empower us to help others in need.

Imagine you are decorating your Christmas tree. You wrap the lights around and around, covering the branches. But without plugging the string of lights into the wall outlet, they won't come on, and the tree will be dark. Only when you connect the lights to the source of energy can you light up the tree.

That's how helping others works too. We have to stay connected to Jesus, the source of power and love, and allow that energy to wrap around everyone in our lives, decorating them with the grace of God. God's power enables us to love with more than words. With His help, we are able to follow through with actions and meet the needs of others, putting their needs above our own.

And that's what God's love looks like: selfishly helping others. When we stay connected to Him and His love, we are able to serve and love people the way He loves.

Dear Christ Jesus, I ask You to embrace me with Your powerful love so that I may love others with words and actions. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.