Take Action

John 3:16 (KJV) Says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Matthew 27:50 (KJV) Says "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."

True love requires action, and the above scripture tells us that God loved us so much that he sent His only son to die on the cross for our sins that we may have eternal life. That action demonstrates a love for us so great that there are no words that come near doing it justice.  I think most of us are familiar with John 3:16 and most memorized it at an early age, but how many of us take time to consider what a tremendous sacrifice God made for us, and how much He must love us to have done so. Jesus demonstrated how much He loved us by taking action as well. The above verse taken from the book of Matthew describes Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, and what a painful death that must have been. How many of us take the time to consider Jesus dying on the cross in detail, and how much He must love us to  have suffered in such a horrific way? He died on that cross for our sins even though He Himself was without sin. What a tremendous action He took to demonstrate His love for us.

We are certainly not able to show actions of love anywhere near the magnitude of the ones I've listed above, but it is important for us to realize that true love does require action. It is easy for me to say I love you to the people I love, but it is very important that I back that up with actions that demonstrate I am not merely wasting words. This holds true in every relationship we have. I have a close, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is my Lord, and Savior. I tell Him I love him many times a day, which is important, but I also demonstrate it by my actions. Let me make it clear that I am not perfect, in fact I am far from it, but I do my best to live my life in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, and to serve as a witness for Him to others. This is an action of love.

Most of us love our family members tremendously, I know I do. I count mine among my blessings, and  I thank God for each and every one of them. I tell them I love them every time I get an opportunity to do so. They are also aware that I am here for them whenever they need me no matter what time day or night, and I know that I can count on them in the same manner. We not only verbalize our love for one another but we also demonstrate it by our actions, and that is so very important.

My friends are valuable to me as well, and  I'm sure you value yours also. I don't hesitate to let them know they are important to me, nor do I hesitate to tell them I love them. They like my family members, know that I am here for them whenever they need me day or night. They have no doubt that I will back up the words I love you with action, and I have no doubt that they will do the same for me. I count my friends among my blessings along with my family members, and I thank God for bringing them into my life.

Demonstrating our love for family and friends through our actions comes naturally for most of us. We all find ourselves busy with day to day activities from time to time, however, and we must be careful not to become so busy we fail to demonstrate the love we have for the people in our lives. It is important that we make a conscience effort never to allow ourselves to become that busy. Life is short, and we need to make certain we take advantage of the opportunities we are given to not only verbalize, but show by our actions the love we have for others. 

As Christians, we should not limit our actions of love to family, and friends. In Matthew 22:39 (KJV) Jesus tells us that we are to love our neighbor as we love our self. One person taking action to demonstrate love for other people can have a tremendous impact on so many individuals. My cousin's wife, Jessica Patton,  is a perfect example of one person stepping up and taking action that has blessed, and continues to bless numerous individuals. Jessica is a woman who works a full time job, she is a Mom, a wife, and she takes excellent care of her family. Her children participate in extra curricular activities, and she is present at all of their events. In short, she is a very busy woman.  A child in Jessica's community lost his life, when he was struck by a motor vehicle one morning before school. This tragedy touched the hearts of many people in the community, and that included Jessica. She had the desire in her heart to help this family in any way  she could, and that desire resulted in her creating a facebook community outreach page as a result of this tragedy. Jessica created this page as a means to reach out to the community and raise money in support for those in the community who need help.  The response she got was overwhelming. Jessica not only created and promoted the community outreach page she was very active in going out into the community, and working to raise money for community needs.  Her children also participated working hard for a very worthy cause. What a powerful lesson in caring and taking action she is passing on to them, and she is doing so by example. The facebook page she created has grown, and serves as a great way for people in the community to learn of others in need, and the ways in which they can help, if they so desire. This page brings community members, and businesses together to help people with issues ranging from the loss of a loved one to a family in need of a bed for their child. It has truly been, and continues to be a blessing to many. Numerous people have been helped, and it all stemmed from a desire in the caring heart of one woman.

Jessica has made, and continues to make a tremendous difference in her community. Imagine the difference that could be made in the world if every city in every country had at least one person who was willing to create a community outreach page that informed people of the needs of those around them. The  results would be astounding.

Do you demonstrate love for your family and friends with your actions? Do you look for ways to help others in their time of need? When you hear of someone in need do you think how sad, and move on with your life, or do you reach out and offer to help them? Do people know you love them because you show them? If you are one who says I love you, but fails to do anything that demonstrates that truth, I would like to encourage you to take action. Begin showing people you love them by the things you do, and not just the things you say. Words come very easy. We're all aware of the old adage "actions speak louder than words," and I think most of us would agree on how very true that is.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.