Love in action
For many years, our men at church spoiled the women with a Sweetheart Supper. Held on a Saturday night in mid-February, we women were treated like royalty. The men did every aspect of preparation, serving, and cleaning up. Love in action!
Our women looked forward to this meal of steak, baked potato, and an extensive salad bar. A hot fudge brownie sundae topped off the delicious meal. But what we enjoyed as much as the food was the knowledge that our men worked hard to gift every woman in our church with a night off from shopping, cooking, and washing dishes.
Our men showed their love for us through their actions.
God shows His love for us through His actions.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
There’s a reason this Scripture is one of the most recognized verses in the Bible. Who else do we know who would sacrifice their child for the lives of others?
John 3:16 tells us about the greatest love.
We know that military personnel, fire fighters, and law enforcement officers risk their lives on a daily basis to protect us. But these heroes make that choice to serve others–their parents didn’t choose this pathway for them.
But God chose that path for Jesus.
This Sunday, in church, our guest speaker spoke of God’s love by comparing it to how we humans love. Would we sacrifice our children to save someone else’s life? I agree with our speaker–I would willingly die for my children (or grandchildren), but not sacrifice them for someone else.
God did.
God’s love is beyond understanding
God’s love is beyond our feeble human understanding of love–He sacrificed His Son because He loves us. He loves us so much He wants us to protect us and care for us. Our Father wants us to love Him and make the choice to be with Him in eternity, God’s only Son became part of the plan to save humankind.
Jesus knew this sacrifice of love was His destiny.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)
Time brings change in our earthly world.
Many of the men who organized the meal and worked so hard to give our women a rest have died or are in poor health. There’s not enough of them to keep the event going without some help.
We women have stepped up and joined them celebrating our Sweethearts. We show our love by putting it into action, distributing responsibilities so as not to overburden our men.
On Valentine’s Day, we are reminded by stores, cards, florists, and candy makers to show our love for those significant people in our lives. I pray we’ll also take a moment to remember the greatest love of all--love in action–our Lord Jesus who loved us so much that He died for us.
God’s love is forever, unchanged by time.
The winner of last week’s drawing for Forever Free is Melissa H. I’ll be in touch.
If you missed last week’s blog and you’d like to learn more about this delightful book, you can find the blog here.
Katherine, thank you for this beautiful reminder of true, unchanging love. I thank God for the love He’s shown to me, and I hope to honor Him by putting His love into action through my life. Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
I’m thankful, too. Our God is so good to us. We are blessed by His mercy, grace, and love. Thank you, Annie.
Katherine, thank you for this reminder of God’s love-the greatest love of all. Hearing about God love in action through Jesus never grows old. We often need a fresh reminder.
God’s blessings are enduring, yet there are new ones each day. I think reminders of His blessings are important–lest we take them for granted. I’m thankful. Wishing you peace and joy, Lisa.
Katherine, thanks for this beautiful reminder of God’s love. Our human love can’t compare. We can be thankful every day for the Father who gave, the Son who died, and the Holy Spirit’s power who raised Jesus from the dead.
Well said, Barbara! Our human love can’t compare with God’s love, but I’m so grateful He gifted us with the ability to love, even if it’s just a lesser version than the great love He has for us. Imagine the pain we would feel if our capacity to give and receive love was as strong as our Father’s. What great sorrow our Father must have felt as He witnessed the pain and suffering of His Son. We are blessed by His gifts of love and grace–and the granting of the Holy Spirit to be our guide.
You said it so well: God’s love is beyond our feeble human understanding. I am grateful for that love!
I agree, Priscilla. I’m thankful, too. We are so blessed by God’s infinite love. Wishing you much joy this week.
A wonderful message. I pray we all show His love with our words and actions. 🙂
Thank you for your prayer, Melissa. Every day is a good day to share God’s love with others, but since February is the month to celebrate love, I pray we can all make an extra effort to share our Lord’s message of love with those with whom we interact. Thank you for all you do in service to our Father. Blessings!
Katherine, thank you for the wonderful reminder of love in action.
Thank you for your kind encouragement, Diana. Wishing you a blessed week and a Happy Valentine’s Day.
I love that as the need has arisen, the women of your church are stepping up to help keep this wonderful tradition alive. What a blessing that must be my friend. I wish I lived closer just to come and serve all y’all. Anytime we have a chance to fellowship and show appreciation for one another is a good time indeed. God’s blessings sweet friend.
I wish you and your sweet bride lived closer, J.D. (or we lived closer to you). What wonderful times we could have gathering to worship, praise, and fellowship together. We could also enjoy joining together sharing meals such as the one we shared on Saturday night. May God bless you and your Cross-Dubya family.
Saying “I love you,” is often easy. Putting our love into action proves what we say is true. God set the example. For God so loved… that He gave. I pray God will help me to find ways to show my love to others.
I agree, Terri. Our actions speak louder than words. I pray we can show others our love through our actions, and love others the way Jesus loves us. Thank you for sharing encouragement.
My husband is excited to prepare dinner this Valentine’s Day. The steaks are thawing in the fridge as I write. Love in action is beautiful. Thanks for sharing. God bless!
That’s wonderful, Nancy. When our menfolk cook and clean for us, it’s a special treat. Happy Valentine’s Day!
I love the Sweetheart Supper the men in your church offered the ladies. A loving gesture, for sure. I think it’s fitting that Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day this year. It will remind me of the greatest love of all. God’s love is indeed “beyond our feeble human understanding of love.”
It’s wonderful when we are able to share love for others through our actions. It’s a double blessing–the giver and the receiver are blessed. I hope we can strive to love like Jesus loves, this Valentine’s Day and everyday. Wishing you peace and joy, Candyce.
I love this time of year and reading all about God’s love for us. It is awesome to ponder that kind of love. What a blessing. Thank you Katherine
I agree, Yvonne. When we focus on God’s love and loving each other we are sharing love as God meant for us to. We are so blessed by our Father’s love. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks Katherine for the reminder that love when followed up with action is a true gift.
I pray we can also love God with our whole heart and love others as Jesus loves. Love in actions! Thank you, Sylvia.
A lovely reminder of showing love to others. And I’m so thankful for God’s love.
We are so blessed by His great love for us. I’m thankful, too, LuAnn.